have on hands

have (someone or something) on (one's) hands

1. To have in one's possession someone or something that one is responsible for or burdened with. I'd come and pick you up, but I've got Jane's kids on my hands this weekend. The restaurant's power went out, and now I have all this melting ice cream on my hands!2. To be faced or confronted with something. If the two countries don't stop this antagonistic back-and-forth, we could have a nuclear war on our hands!See also: hand, have, on

have someone or something on one's hands

to be burdened with someone or something. (Have can be replaced with leave.) I run a record store. I sometimes have a large number of unwanted records on my hands. Please don't leave the children on my hands.See also: hand, have, on