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Latest post Sat, Mar 8 2008 2:49 AM by chikei1984. 4 replies.
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Madhulk  +  486223 Fri, 07 Mar 08 08:32 PM
 "Your boss's chief of security is up to his Bahamian bank accounts in industrial espionage."

Help me understand the underlined part. 

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Clive  +  486229 Fri, 07 Mar 08 08:56 PM

Hi,

"Your boss's chief of security is up to his Bahamian bank accounts in industrial espionage."

Help me understand the underlined part.  It means that the man is selling industrial secrets for a lot of money, which he puts into a lot of bank accounts in the Bahamas.

If you are surrounded by water that comes up as far as your hips, you are surrounded bya lot of water. The expression here means figuratively that the man is surrounded by many bank accounts.

Best wishes, Clive

 

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CalifJim  +  486231 Fri, 07 Mar 08 08:57 PM
I am up to my waist in water.    (I am standing in a pool of water.  The water reaches as high as my waist.)

He is up to his neck in water.    (The water reaches up to (as high as) his neck.)

The boss is up to his neck in problems.  (metaphoric, as if there were a pool of problems he was immersed in -- he is overwhelmed by problems)

The boss's chief of security is up to his neck in industrial espionage.  (metaphoric, as if  he is being overwhelmed by industrial espionage or as if he is involved in industrial espionage -- perhaps he is being accused of espionage -- it's impossible to say exactly from this sentence alone.)

Your boss's chief of security is up to his Bahamian bank accounts in industrial espionage.  (doubly metaphoric, probably suggesting that the person responsible for security is overwhelmed by or implicated in problems related to industrial espionage.  It's unclear without more context whether the problems involve the Bahamian bank accounts or whether he himself has such accounts or whether the accounts are related in some way to his own activities or to accusations against him.)

I hope the explanation of up to ... in ... was what you wanted, because without more information I can't guess anything more specific about the bank accounts and the espionage.

CJ 

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Madhulk  +  486236 Fri, 07 Mar 08 09:16 PM
 Thanks, guys. Your explanations fit perfectly!
chikei1984  +  486289 Sat, 08 Mar 08 02:49 AM
Frankly, the meaning is clear and makes me understand a lot. Thanks. Let me guess the meaning of the sentence, when saying, “Your boss's chief of security is up to his Bahamian bank accounts in industrial espionage." My point of view is industrial espionage has reached the core of confidential information, like the Bahamian bank accounts of boss. It means that his security for private is not safe. It is same as the example ‘I stand up to my neck in the water’ which means the the water is reach my neck level and almost kill me.
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