get tied up —(coll.)
1. become deeply involved with smb.:
- Mazie had just managed to get out of a terrible marriage and she didn’t want to get tied up with anyone.
2. be held up or kept busy with people or things:
- I meant to come round yesterday evening, but I got tied up with people.
get tied up in knots—(coll.) become very anxious or worried:
- Don’t get tied up in knots over grammar. It’s not worth it and it will only put you off writing.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase get knotted—(UK sl.) used to rudely tell a person to go away (and stop being annoying ):
- I don’t know why you didn’t tell him to get knotted and be done with it.