have a finger in every pie
be involved in many activities or projects
In Spanish
tener un dedo en cada pastel, estar metido en todo
Examples
- He has a finger in every pie — board roles, advisory, his own startup.
- She's got a finger in every pie, from volunteering to running her own business.
- Tom has a finger in every pie, which keeps him too busy for vacations.
When it's used
The idiom is informal and often used in casual conversation to describe someone involved in various activities or projects. It's more common in spoken English than in formal writing. It conveys a sense of busyness and multitasking.
The common mistake
A common mistake is using the literal translation 'to have a finger in every cake', which is not an English idiom. Additionally, learners might mistakenly say 'finger in all pies', altering the set phrase incorrectly. Stick to the fixed expression 'a finger in every pie'.