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View synonyms for at sixes and sevens

at sixes and sevens

  1. In a state of confusion or disorder: “Trying to cram for this math test has me all at sixes and sevens.”


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Idioms and Phrases

Confused, disorganized, disorderly, as in We've just moved in, and the office is still at sixes and sevens , or The new college admissions tests were poorly explained, leaving the students at sixes and sevens . This ancient term is thought to come from a game of dice in which throwing a six or seven had a particular significance. The name of the game has been lost, but most likely betting on such a throw was very risky, denoting disorder and confusion. [Late 1300s]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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