get one's wires crossed
To get confused or mixed up about another person's intentions; to misunderstand one another.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We got our wires crossed about the meeting time.”
“I think we get our wires crossed whenever we talk about money.”
“I thought she was bringing the food, but she thought I was — we got our wires crossed.”
“You might get your wires crossed if you try to plan a large wedding without writing every single detail down in a shared document.”
“The two diplomats had got their wires crossed during negotiations, each believing the other had agreed to terms that had never in fact been discussed.”
From the early era of telephony, when the physical proximity of telegraph or telephone lines allowed for literal contact between conductors. When such wires touched, an electrical signal intended for one receiver would be rerouted to another, resulting in the interruption of private discourse or the arrival of a message at an unintended destination. The phrase entered the lexicon to describe the resulting confusion when signals, or understandings, fail to follow their prescribed paths.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026