Bury Yourself Into Something Meaning
Definition: To make oneself very busy with one thing and to exclude other activities.
One common use of this expression is bury myself in my work.
Origin of Bury Yourself Into Something
The exact origin of this expression is unclear. However, it has been in use since at least the 1800s.
Imagine a person who is so busy with his studies or work that he has piles of books and papers around himself. He is ignoring all the other aspects of his life to focus on what he is working on.
This is the type of imagery the expression conjures. A person surrounded, either literally or metaphorically, by his or her work. This person is unable or unwilling to focus on anything else.
Examples of Bury Yourself Into Something
Here is an example of a math professor and her student using the idiom.
Student: I’m going to fail this test.
Teacher: Why would you say that?
Student: It’s too hard. I can’t learn the material.
Teacher: Have you been studying for an hour every day as I suggested?
Student: No, actually, I get too distracted by the TV. My family always has it on.
Teacher: Well, the test isn’t for a month. I suggest you start utilizing the school library. Bury yourself in your studies. You’ll be able to do it if you put in the effort.
In this example, two friends are discussing a book they are reading for their book club.
Monica: Hey! The book for this month is way better than the one we read last month, don’t you think?
Janice: Oh, absolutely!
Monica: I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I couldn’t put the book down!
Janice: I know! I buried myself in the story. I didn’t even leave the house last weekend. I had to know the ending!
More Examples
In this excerpt, a woman tried to focus on her work to avoid feeling sad about breaking up with her partner.
- After a terrible heartbreak, I’d buried myself in my work, using stacks of student essays as an excuse for being alone. –Washington Post
The second excerpt describes how one author dedicated himself to reading a book.
- The first time James McBride, author of the best-selling books “The Good Lord Bird” and “The Color of Water,” read “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, he was sitting in a closet. “There was so much activity in the house,” he said. “It was a book that was passed between my brothers and sisters, and I just got ahold of it and buried myself in it.” –Wall Street Journal
Summary
The phrase to bury oneself in something means to immerse oneself in something fully. Usually, a person will bury himself or herself in work or studies.
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