Reverse Dictionary: BUSY

ADJECTIVES
1300 — ITHAND busy, assiduous, diligent → Sc. & Eng. dial. obs.
1300 — YERN busy about something, earnestly occupied or engaged → obs.
1386 — QUICK busy, full of activity or business; said of places or times → obs.
1405 — BUSY AS A BEE very busy or industrious; fully engaged with some occupation 
1450 — IMPORTUNE busy; pressing, urgent → obs.
1538 — OPEROUS busy, industrious, laborious; made or done with much labour or effort; painstaking, tedious → obs.
1542 — IMPORTUNATE busy; pressing, urgent → obs.
1591 — EIDENT busy; diligent, industrious, attentive to; hard-working → Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
1604 — NEGOTIATED busy; engaged → obs.
1611 — BUSY-IDLE busily employed in trivial matters; engaged in busy idleness 
1642 — NEGOTIOUS fully or constantly busy or occupied → obs.
1645 — VERSANT busy, concerned, or anxious about, occupied or engaged in or with, something 
1670 — OPEROSE busy; laborious; industrious; said of a person 
1693 — POLYPRAGMONETIC busy or concerned with many affairs; overly concerned with the affairs of others, interfering, officious → obs.
1776 — THRONGED busy; hurried → Eng. & Amer. dial.
1781 — THRONG busy; occupied; absorbed in work, etc.; of work: pressing → Sc. & Eng. & Amer. dial.
1788 — THRANG busy; occupied; absorbed in work, etc.; of work: pressing → Sc. & Eng. dial.
1790 — OVER-THRONGED very busy; over-hurried → Eng. dial.
1797 — BUSY AS THE DEVIL IN A GALE OF WIND doing or pretending to do a great deal and making a great fuss about it 
1802 — AFFAIRÉ busy, fully occupied; having much to do; also, preoccupied 
1809 — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED PAPER-HANGER extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
1834 — BUSY AS BEES IN A BASIN busy with trifling matters → Eng. dial.
1856 — HAND-BOUND very busy; fully occupied → Eng. dial.
1868 — BUSY AS THROP’S WIFE → THRONG AS THROP’S WIFE used of a very busy person, esp. one busied over trifles → Eng. dial.
1877 — RUSTLING busy, bustling; full of activity; also, energetic, driven → colloq., chiefly US
1879 — BUSY AS A NAILER extremely busy → Ireland 
1882 — BUZZING busy, popular; lively, exciting → colloq.
1887 — ABUSTLE busy, bustling with people, activity, etc. 
1888 — THRONGSOM busy, fully employed → Eng. dial.
1893 — CLIFTY busy; smart, industriously active → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
..20C — BUSY AS A BIRD DOG extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A BIRD DOG WITH AN ITCH extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A BIRD DOG WITH HIVES extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A CENTIPEDE ON A HOT PLATE very busy → Aust. sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED BILL-POSTER extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED BILL-POSTER IN A GALE extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED BILL-POSTER WITH AN ITCH extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED BILL-POSTER WITH HIVES extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED MILKER extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED MILKER WITH AN ITCH extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED MILKER WITH HIVES extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED PAPER-HANGER WITH AN ITCH extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED PAPER-HANGER WITH HIVES extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-LEGGED MAN IN AN ASS-KICKING CONTEST extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-LEGGED MAN IN AN ASS-KICKING CONTEST WITH AN ITCH extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — BUSY AS A ONE-LEGGED MAN IN AN ASS-KICKING CONTEST WITH HIVES extremely busy → sl. orig. Aust. & US sl.
..20C — WRAPPED UP busy with something or someone  → Amer. sl.
1900 — GNATLING busy doing nothing, engaged with trifles → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1902 — BUSY AS HELL BEATING TANBARK very busy → Amer. dial. 
1904 — SCOWING busy → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — THRANG AS THROP’S WIFE WHEN SHE HANGED HERSELF IN HER GARTER used of a very busy person, esp. one busied over trifles → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — THRANG AS THROP’S WIFE WHEN SHE HANGED HERSELF WITH THE DISH-CLOUT used of a very busy person, esp. one busied over trifles → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — THRONG AS A BECK WIFE used of a busy person → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — THRONGISH rather busy → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1911 — BOOSAM busy, bustling → Sc. (Bk.)
1912 — SHIFTY busy; industrious and successful → Amer. dial.
1914 — BUSY AS FORTY BEES IN A TAR-BUCKET very busy → Amer. dial. (Bk.)
1946 — BUSY AS A BASKET OF CHIPS GOING TO A BONFIRE extremely busy → Amer. dial.
1952 — SHOVED TO DEATH very busy → Amer. dial.
1965 — LIKE A ONE-ARMED PAPERHANGER WITH THE ITCH busy → Amer. dial.
1980 — COVERED UP booked up; busy → Amer. dial.
1982 — BUZZY busy, lively; popular, fashionable, much-talked-about 
1987 — BUSIER THAN A ONE-LEGGED MAN AT AN ASS-KICKING CONTEST very busy → Amer. sl.
1987 — BUSY AS A BLUE-ARSED FLY busy; engaged in constant, frantic activity or movement → colloq.
1996 — UNABLE TO SCRATCH ONESELF very busy → Aust. sl. (Bk.)
1999 — BUSY AS A ONE-ARMED BILL-POSTER IN A GALE extremely busy → Aust. sl. (Bk.)

ADVERBS
1668 — OPEROSELY busily, laboriously, elaborately 
1668 — OPEROUSLY busily, laboriously; elaborately → obs.
1786 — THRANG → THRONG busily; overpoweringly → Sc.
1813 — DEEDILY busily; actively → Eng. dial.
1838 — EIDENTLY busily; assiduously → Sc.
1865 — AGAIT → AGATE busy, going on with work; busy, occupied, engaged upon → Eng. dial.

NOUNS
1225 — BUSYSHIP a busy state or quality; bustling activity → obs.
1340 — BUSYHEAD a being busy; preoccupation, concern → obs.
1511 — BUSYTY a being busy; officiousness; fussiness → obs.
1615 — OPEROSITY a being industrious or busy
1628 — BUZZ busy activity; stir 
1642 — NEGOTIOUSNESS busyness; want of leisure; diligence, industriousness → obs.
1678 — NEGOTIOSITY busyness; constant occupation in affairs; want of leisure → obs.
1737 — THRANG → THRONG a busy time; bustle; confusion; the state of being busy → Sc. & Eng. dial.
1823 — THRANGERIE a busy time; a bustle → Sc. obs.
1873 — THRANGETTY → THRANGITY a being busy → Sc.
1890 — POLYPRAGMATISM busyness or concern with many affairs; officiousness
1905 — MERRY-DAY a busy time → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — THE THICK OF THE THRANG the busiest part or time; the midst of the bustle or crowd → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — THRONGISH-DEED busy doings → Eng. dial. (Bk.)

NOUNS, PERSON
1613 — POLYPRAGMIST a person who is busy or concerned with many affairs → obs.
1631 — POLYPRAGMATIST a person who is busy or concerned with many affairs; a busybody
1883 — NAFFLER a person busy about trifles; one who accomplishes little → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1888 — BANAG a busy little woman → Sc. (Bk.)
1900 — FADDLES a person who, though always apparently busy, does not progress with their work; generally applied to a woman → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — THRUNK-WIFE a person busy over trifles → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1923 — TEAR-ARSE → TEAR-ASS a very busy, active person → sl.

PHRASES
..L19 — BUSY AS A DOG BUILDING A NEST IN HIGH GRASS applied to someone very intent on a chore or busy at something → US
.M20 — BUSY AS A JOCKEY’S WHIP ON A LONG SHOT COMING DOWN THE STRETCH applied to someone very intent on a chore or busy at something
1999 — NOSE DOWN, BUM UP very busy → Aust. sl. (Bk.)

VERBS
1300 — WALK to busy oneself; to be active about something → obs.
1340 — HAVE IN OCCUPATION to be busied or occupied with → obs.
1350 — FAND → FOND to busy oneself → obs.
1440 — TIFF to be busy about trifles; to be idly employed → obs.
1440 — TIFFLE to busy oneself idly; to trifle; to potter about → obs. exc. Eng. dial.
1547 — TWIDDLE to be busy about trifles; to trifle
1598 — HAVE EGGS ON THE SPIT to be very busy and unable to attend to anything else; to have business in hand 
1737 — YERK to be busy, worked up, or excited → Sc.
1774 — OCCUPY to be busy with, to employ oneself in → Sc.
1775 — FEAK to be officiously busy about trifles, to be idle, to fidget; to be uneasy or anxious → Sc. & Eng. dial.
1776 — TIG-TAG to be very busy while accomplishing nothing of importance; to shilly-shally → Sc. obs.
1866 — HAIVER → HAVER to make a pretense of being busy; to dawdle, to potter about; to saunter, to lounge → Sc.
1876 — MUSS to busy oneself in a confused, unmethodical, and ineffectual manner → obs.
1885 — THRANG → THRONG to be busy; to trouble oneself → Eng. dial.
1887 — HUM to be busy; to be crowded; to be lively → US sl.
1889 — BRIGGLE to busy oneself without purpose; to fuss about ineffectively; to potter → Amer. dial.
1893 — BE RUSHED OFF ONE’S FEET to be extremely busy 
..L19 — BUZZ AROUND LIKE A BLUE-ARSED FLY to be excessively busy, often to the detriment of others; to rush around headlong → sl.
1903 — PAWTLE to be apparently busy and yet accomplish no work; to trifle away time; esp. of a woman → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1904 — GRAB IN to get busy → Amer. dial.
1904 — SCRAT ABOUT to be busy in a poor, desultory fashion; to potter about → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — DO AROUND → DO ROUND to busy oneself; to bustle about; to mingle with others, to go from place to place → Amer. dial.
1905 — NATTER to be busy in a trifling manner → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — NATTLE to be very busy in doing nothing at all; to be bustling and stirring about trifles → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1906 — BUZZ to be busy, lively, or exciting → colloq.
1908 — DO ABOUT to get busy, to hurry, to bustle about → Amer. dial.
1923 — BAISSLE to busy or exert oneself; to rush about in a busied or hurried manner → Sc.
1925 — PAD ON to move around busying oneself at a task → Sc.
1936 — DANCE ABOUT LIKE A BLUE-ARSED FLY to be busy; to be engaged in constant, frantic activity or movement → colloq.
1936 — GET CRACKING to get busy, to get going, to begin work → Amer. sl.
1949 — FLAP AROUND LIKE A BLUE-ARSED FLY to be busy; to be engaged in constant, frantic activity or movement → colloq.
1969 — HAUL LOOSE to get busy and get some specific job done → Amer. dial.
1970 — RUN AROUND LIKE A BLUE-ARSED FLY to be busy; to be engaged in constant, frantic activity or movement → colloq.