# get one's wires crossed

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/get-ones-wires-crossed
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To get confused or mixed up about another person's intentions; to misunderstand one another.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.