“Bob’s question really threw me for a loop“
“Everyone talking at the same time got me in a flutter.“
“This manual is about as clear as mud.“
These are just a few idioms for confusion that we are going to look at in this post.
Let’s dive right in!
11 Idioms For Confusion (Examples & Definitions)
To Mix (Something) Up or To Be Mixed Up
We say that a person mixed something up when they confuse something for something else.
“I am sorry, I mixed up the drinks. I thought this one was Root Beer and that one was Doctor Pepper.”
A person can also be mixed up, meaning that they are confused, or lost.
“I am sorry I wasn’t able to meet up with you today. Today, I am a little mixed up. I keep thinking that today is Friday, but it is Thursday. I think I am just really tired.”
To Throw Someone For A Loop
To throw someone for a loop means to confuse them. For example, perhaps they ask you a question, but your answer doesn’t answer their question. Rather it makes them go in circles or go in a loop. Ultimately they are lost and confused.
“Bob’s question really threw me for a loop. Does he want us to be in charge of accounting or was he just joking?”
To Scratch One’s Head About Something
To scratch one’s head about something means that a person is puzzled or confused about something to the point that they might be literally scratching their head trying to think of a solution. A situation can also be called a head-scratcher meaning that it is a confusing situation or that it is a difficult problem to solve.
“Here I am scratching my head about what Tom did. Why did he do that? What was he thinking? I am so confused.”
To Be At One’s Wit’s End
To be at one’s wit’s end means that one is completely puzzled or perplexed. They have exhausted all of their mental resources trying to figure out a solution.
“You know I have been staring at this computer screen for 3 hours trying to figure out how we are going to solve this problem. I am at my wit’s end right now. I just need a break.”
To Be In A Flutter
When a person is very nervous or confused, we say that they are in a flutter.
“That meeting wasn’t very productive. Everyone talking at the same time got me in a flutter. I am so confused. Are we going to start this project this quarter or are we going to wait? What was the final decision?”
To Knock Someone Down With A Feather
When a person is totally confused by something or really surprised (astonished) we say that you could knock them down with a feather. It means that they are so confused or surprised by what just happened you could literally knock them over with something soft like a feather.
“When I learned about all the things that my boss wanted to be done before Sunday, you could have knocked me down with a feather. However, I am happy to say that we were able to finish the project in time.”
You May Also Enjoy Reading: 10 Idioms For Feeling Nervous
To Not Know Which Way/Where To Turn/Jump
When a person doesn’t know what to do next or where to look for help, we might say that they don’t know which way to turn.
“After 25 years of working for that company, John was laid off. It completely caught him off guard. He didn’t know which way to turn.”
To Be At Sea About Something
To be at sea about something simply means to be extremely confused about something.
“He is trying to do his best in algebra class, but Chris is all at sea about this last assignment his teacher gave him. Could you give him a hand?”
To Be All Greek To Someone
To say that something is all Greek to someone means that they don’t understand what is going on. It is like a person is speaking greek to them. They are confused, and not sure what to do.
“I have no idea what this work order means, it is all greek to me. Can you help me out? What does this mean?
To Be As Clear As Mud
We say that something is clear as mud when we want to say that it is difficult to understand. Just like it is difficult to see through muddy water, when we use this expression we want to express that we can’t clearly understand something.
“This manual is about as clear as mud. I don’t understand anything. Do you think you can help me figure out what I am supposed to do with this machine?
You may also enjoy reading: 12 Idioms About Something That Is Never Going To Happen
To Throw Off Someone
To throw off someone means to confuse them or to mislead them.
“I am sorry, but his comment really threw me off. Does he mean that will we go to Boston? Or does he mean that we will just go to any big city?
There you have it! 11 idioms about confusion. Which one was your favorite? Share your comments in the section below.
If you enjoy this post, you may also enjoy our Idiom Of The Day page. There we post a different idiom every day. Check it out!
