deludge vs inundated

[ostap77]

"If I hadn't been deluged with work the day before, I would have come to the train station in time to see him off."

OR

"If I hadn't been inundated with work the day before, I would have come to the train station in time to see him off."

Which one do we use more often "deludged with" or "inundated with"?

 

[Barb_D]

Both sound good to me. I'd use either one.

 

[ostap77]

Both sound good to me. I'd use either one.

Do you often get to hear them in conversation?

 

[Barb_D]

Often? Probably not often, but not so rarely that I would consider it surprising to hear one. Probably inundated more often than deluged.

 

[ostap77]

Often? Probably not often, but not so rarely that I would consider it surprising to hear one. Probably inundated more often than deluged.

What would be more colloquial for it?

 

[riquecohen]

What would be more colloquial for it?

Swamped with work would be more colloquial. Please note that the correct spelling is deluged.

 

[Barb_D]

Swamped was also exactly what I was going to suggest.

Sometimes I say "I'm under water right now."

Interesting that so many have to do with water: deluged, swamped, under water.

 

[BobK]

Barb's 'under water' gives rise to an expression (and accompanying gesture) that you could use in an informal context: 'If I hadn't been up to here [indicating the surface of the water at about the level of your nostrils] with work...'.

b

PS You can also use 'up to here' to mean you're fed up with something: 'I've had it up to here'.