Be out of (one's) depth phrase
To be in a state of affairs that is too difficult for you to handle or comprehend.
I am a monolingual person. Therefore, when he asked me in a foreign language, I was out of my depth.
At that time, I was only able to ride a bike, so when he told me to ride a motorbike, I was out of my depth.
This expression alludes to being in water so deep that one might sink. It dates from around 1600.
To punish someone or something harshly
He's a really strict teacher, so he'll definitely lower the boom on you if you don't do your homework.