chock-a-block

adj. & adv. crammed close together; crammed full (a street chock-a-block with cars).
Etymology: orig. Naut., with ref. to tackle with the two blocks run close together

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adverb

as completely as possible

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it was chock-a-block full

• Syn: ↑chock

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adj

packed, crammed, full, overfull, jammed, crowded, congested, brimful

COLLOQ. jam-packed, packed like sardines, full to bursting

SLANG chocker

≠ empty

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chockˈ-a-block, chock-fullˈ or choke-fullˈ adjective

Quite full

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Main Entry: ↑chock

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chock-a-block UK US adjective not usually before noun informal

very full, so that there is not much room for anything or anyone else

chock-a-block with:

It’s an area that’s chock-a-block with tourists.

Thesaurus: full of people or things_synonym

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chock-a-block or chock|a|block «CHOK uh BLOK», adjective.

1. (of tackle) with the blocks drawn close together.

2. Figurative. jammed together; crowded; packed: »

The museum…keeps its members happy with a calendar chock-a-block with concerts, poetry readings, art classes and a movie series (Time).

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chock-a-block [ˌtʃɒk ə ˈblɒk] [ˌtʃɑːk ə ˈblɑːk] (also chocka [ˈtʃɒkə] ; [ˈtʃɑːkə] ) adjective not before noun \chock-a-block (with sth/sb) (BrE, informal)

very full of things or people pressed close together

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The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments.

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It was chock-a-block in town today

(= full of people)

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Word Origin:

[chock-a-block] mid 19th cent. (originally in nautical use, with reference to tackle having the two blocks run close together): from chock (in ↑chock-full) and ↑block.  

Example Bank:

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It was chock-a-block in town today.

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The shelves were chock-a-block with souvenirs and ornaments.