Where did the expression at sixes and sevens come from?

The term at sixes and sevens goes back at least to the 1300s. Originally, the phrase was rendered on six and seven, and referred to a dice game where throwing on a six or seven meant risking one's entire fortune. Until the 1600s, on sixes and sevens meant to take a careless risk.

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 the expression sixes and sevens mean?

phrase [usually verb-link PHRASE] If you say that someone or something is at sixes and sevens, you mean that they are confused or disorganized.

Where does the saying for 2 pins come from?

for two ˈpins

(old-fashioned, British English) used to say that you would like to do something, even though you know that it would not be sensible: I spend so much money on this car. For two pins I'd sell it.

What's the meaning of Dressed 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.

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

What does bolt from the blue mean?

Definition of bolt from the blue

: a complete surprise : something totally unexpected.

What is the meaning of the idiom sit on the fence?

To remain neutral, to refuse to take sides in a dispute; often used in a derogatory way about someone who lacks the courage to decide: “The councilman is afraid he'll lose votes if he takes sides on the zoning issue, but he can't sit on the fence forever.”

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 George mean by were at sixes and sevens?

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 is the meaning of daggers drawn?

About to or ready to fight, as in Are Felix and Oscar still at daggers drawn over the rent? Although daggers today are rarely if ever used to avenge an insult or issue a challenge to a duel, this idiom remains current.

What is the meaning of idiom bad blood?

: ill feeling : bitterness.

What does like 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 the origin of hit the nail on the head?

The origin of the idiom 'hit the nail on the head' is carpentry, although no one is certain when it was first used. This analogy is a wonderfully straightforward one; missing the nail when hammering is imprecise and can cause damage to the surface beneath the hammer.

What does spilling the beans mean?

Disclose a secret or reveal something prematurely, as in You can count on little Carol to spill the beans about the surprise. In this colloquial expression, first recorded in 1919, spill means “divulge,” a usage dating from the 1500s.

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]

Is the cat out of the bag meaning?

To disclose a secret: “The mayor's visit was to be kept strictly confidential, but someone must have let the cat out of the bag, because the airport was swarming with reporters.”

What is the meaning of get into hot water?

: a difficult or dangerous situation : trouble entry 1 sense 4 —used with in or into But this poor fellow was always getting into hot water, and if there was a wrong way of doing a thing, was sure to hit upon it.— Richard Henry Dana Jr.

What is the meaning of idiom hold your horses?

old-fashioned informal. used to tell someone to stop and consider carefully their decision or opinion about something: Just hold your horses, Bill! Let's think about this for a moment.

What does the term give up the ghost mean?

If a machine gives up the ghost, it stops working: Our old TV had finally given up the ghost. UK. to stop trying to do something because you know that you will not succeed: All I'd cherished from early childhood had been denied me, so I simply gave up the ghost.

What is the meaning of the cream of the crop?

The best or choicest of anything, as in The apples from this orchard are definitely the cream of the crop. The noun cream has been used to mean “the best” since the 16th century. The French equivalent of the present term, la crème de la crème (“the cream of the cream”) was familiar in English by 1800.

What does the phrase through thick and thin mean?

Definition of through thick and thin

: through many difficult times over a long period She stood by me through thick and thin.

What does the phrase black sheep mean?

Definition of black sheep

: a disfavored or disreputable member of a group.

What is the meaning of cry over spilled milk?

No matter how you say the proverb, “don't cry over spilled milk” or “it's no use crying over spilled milk,” the phrase means that there's no point to being upset over something that has already happened and cannot be changed.