Question: I need another excuse of "I was very busy" as people became tired of hearing it. So, I thought of expressing the idea of having a very restricted/limited time for all the tasks that I have been assigned to do and therefore I couldn't completely finish this specific one. The thing is I can't get my hands on a suitable phrase.

I guess it would be something like:

> 
> I wasn't able to finish it as I **got pretty restricted** in time.
> 
> 
> 

Is it correct? Can I achieve that meaning better?

It is not necessary to be formal, but I don't want it to be too informal.

Answer: 
There are some other good suggestions here. I might also use:

> 
> I got caught up with other work.
> 
> 
> I got caught up in other work.
> 
> 
> 

Either of these means that you were very busy or “tangled up” with other work- like you couldn’t escape the trap of the work, so to speak.

EDIT: Sorry, I should have also addressed your own suggestion - 

> 
> I got pretty restricted in time.
> 
> 
> 

I would not say that, even if the meaning might be understood. The phrasing is awkward - it would sound better to say

> 
> My time was restricted.
> 
> 
> 

if you were to use the word *restricted*. *Restricted* is something that *is*, not something that is *gotten*, generally speaking.

Also, *restricted* is often used to indicate some specific enforced limit, like "Access was restricted to authorized users", or "My time was restricted to three hours". I think in this case the word doesn't completely fit if nobody was actually forcing you to only spend a certain amount of time on this particular task. I daresay it might come off as rude to tell someone the time you had for this task was *restricted*; they might think you set a limit on the time you were going to spend on it because you didn't think it was that important.
**Get around to**
*phrasal verb of get*

**deal with (a task) in due course.**

**to do something that you have intended to do for a long time**

> 
> I didn't **get around to** putting all the photos in frames.
> 
> 
> I couldn't **get around to** finishing it on time.
> 
> 
> I intended to tidy the flat at the weekend, but I didn't **get round to** it.
> 
> 
> It's been at the back of my mind to call José for several days now, but I haven't **got round to** it yet.
> 
> 
> He never did **get around to** putting up the shelves.
> 
> 
> After weeks of putting it off, she finally **got around to** painting the bedroom.
> 
> 
> Did you **get round to** doing the shopping?
> 
> 
> 

---

**to be tied up**

**to be very busy and unable to speak to anyone, go anywhere, etc:**

**Fig. busy.** 

> 
> How long will you be **tied up**? I will be **tied up** in a meeting for an
>  hour.
> 
> 
> I was **tied up** and couldn’t get to the phone.
> 
> 
> He's **tied up** with his new book. He's working hard, you know.
> 
> 
> 

---

**To have too much on plate**

**to be too busy.**

> 
> I'm sorry, I just **have too much on my plate** right now. If you have
>  **too much on your plate**, can I help?
> 
> 
> 

---

**You could've said:** 

> 
> I wasn't able to finish it, because I **had too much on my plate.**
> 
> 
> 

or

> 
> I wasn't able to finish, because I was a little **tied up**.
> 
> 
> 

or

> 
> I couldn't **get around** to it.
> 
> 
>