What does sixes and sevens mean in England?

If you say that someone or something is at sixes and sevens, you mean that they are confused or disorganized. [informal] The government is at sixes and sevens over the issue of domestic security.

Where did the term 6s and 7s come from?

It dates from the mid-1380s and seems from its context to mean "to hazard the world" or "to risk one's life". William Shakespeare uses a similar phrase in Richard II, "But time will not permit: all is uneven, And every thing is left at six and seven". The phrase is also used in Gilbert & Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S.

What does George mean when he says we are at sixes and sevens here?

George means the idiom when he says 'we're at sixes and sevens here'. "At sixes and sevens" is an idiom in English that is used to represent a situation of bewilderment and uncertainty. The phrases are used in a sentence to express when the speaker is in doubt and confusion.

What does the phrase sixes and sevens mean Class 11?

The phrase “at sixes and sevens” means disorderly or frazzled. For example, “The newly rearranged schedule has put me at sixes and sevens.” Hence, Option C is correct.

What does at sixes and nines mean?

(idiomatic) In a state of confusion.

? At Sixes and Sevens Meaning - Be All At Sixes and Sevens - At Sixes and Sevens Examples - British

What does it mean to dress to the nines?

If you say that someone is dressed up to the nines or dressed to the nines, you mean that they are wearing very smart or elegant clothes.

Where did dressed to the 9s come from?

The phrase is said to be Scots in origin. The earliest written example of the phrase is from the 1719 Epistle to Ramsay by the Scottish poet William Hamilton: The bonny Lines therein thou sent me, How to the nines they did content me.

What does bolt from the blue mean?

Definition of bolt from the blue

: a complete surprise : something totally unexpected.

What does like a bear with a sore head mean?

informal (US also like a (real) bear) to be in a bad mood that causes you to treat other people badly and complain a lot: You're like a bear with a sore head this morning.

What does the phrase Catch 22 mean?

Definition of catch-22

1 : a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule the show-business catch-22—no work unless you have an agent, no agent unless you've worked— Mary Murphy also : the circumstance or rule that denies a solution.

What does a fish out of water mean?

A person away from his or her usual environment or activities. For example, Using a computer for the first time, Carl felt like a fish out of water, or On a hiking trail, Nell was a fish out of water. This expression alludes to the fact that fish cannot survive for long on dry land. [ Late 1300s]

Why do they say 40 winks?

As a blink lasts for a fraction of a second, forty winks take a few seconds. Hence the phrase ''forty winks'' has come to mean a few moments of sleep, or a very short nap, especially taken during the daytime, while not in a sleeping position.

What does one over the eight mean?

Someone who has had one over the eight is very drunk indeed. It refers to the standard eight pints that most people drink and feel is enough.

What does dressed to the T mean?

Very well-dressed and fashionable, as or as if for a formal event. I have to be dressed to a tee at this gala tonight—a lot of important people will be there. The whole family will be dressed to the tee at the wedding, I'll make sure of it.

What is a nine slang?

a nine millimeter pistol. Back up before I pull my nine on you. I just got a new nine. See more words with the same meaning: gun, firearm.

What does dress to impress mean?

This means dressing to impress as and when the occasion demands it: looking hot for a date, or businesslike for an interview. It can also mean looking fashionable to impress Other People Who Get It. This is a very particular variety of dressing to impress.

What are the 9s?

Nines are defined by their desire to maintain a sense of inner peace and harmony, and to avoid conflict or other emotional disturbances. They are typically agreeable, calm, and easy to be around. Nines rarely rock the boat, but they can be stubborn.

Where did a dime a dozen come from?

The dime was first minted in 1796. In the 1800s, many goods such as eggs or apples were advertised to cost a dime a dozen in the United States. A phrase that began as a way to tout good value for the money evolved into a phrase that means something nearly worthless by virtue of its commonness and easy availability.

What does cash on the nail mean?

if you pay cash on the nail for something, you pay for it immediately and in cash. The American expression is on the barrelhead.

What does in a nick of time mean?

Definition of in the nick of time

: just before the last moment when something can be changed or something bad will happen He decided to go just in the nick of time. The ambulance arrived in the nick of time.

Why do they say scott free?

IN MACBETH you may recall the line "We have Scotched the snake, not killed it" - which means that the snake is scratched, or injured. So the original expression "Scotch Free" meant uninjured or even unmarked; it very quickly became Scot-Free because of colloquial speech.

What does chalk and cheese mean?

When you say that two people are like 'chalk and cheese', you are suggesting that the two are very different from each other; they have nothing in common. The expression, which has the same meaning as 'apples and oranges', can be used with things as well. No one is really sure about the origin of this idiom.

What is a kit and kaboodle?

kit and caboodle in American English

kit and boodle. informal (often prec. by whole) the whole lot of persons or things; all of something. We took along the whole kit and caboodle in the station wagon.

What does Ants in Your Pants mean?

Be extremely restless, uneasy, impatient, or anxious, as in This child just can't sit still; she must have ants in her pants. This rhyming idiom calls up a vivid image of what might cause one to be jumpy. [

What is the meaning of can't cut the mustard?

To cut the mustard is “to reach or surpass the desired standard or performance” or more generally “to succeed, to have the ability to do something.” For instance, Beyoncé really cut the mustard in her new song.