at sixes and sevens

English

Etymology

Unknown, though it may have originated from the game of hazard and the Old French cinc ‎(“five”) and sis ‎(“six”), the riskiest numbers to shoot for, which were misheard and folk-etymologized into English as "six" and "seven".

Prepositional phrase

at sixes and sevens

1. (idiomatic) In a state of confusion.
   • 1912, Arthur Quiller-Couch, Poison Island, ch. 23:

     Oh, what a racket! And everything on deck apparently at sixes and sevens. Mail-bags and passengers mixed up in every direction.

2. (idiomatic, of people or groups) In a state of dispute or disagreement.
   • 1911, Jack London, Adventure, ch. 6:

     Her outlook on life was so different from what he conceived a woman's outlook should be, that he was more often than not at sixes and sevens with her.

   • 1976, Tim Rice, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina":

     All you will see is a girl you once knew, although she's dressed up to the nines, at sixes and sevens with you.

Synonyms

• (in a state of dispute or disagreement): at loggerheads

Translations

in a state of confusion

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 亂七八糟 (zh), 乱七八糟 (zh) ‎(luànqībāzāo), 混亂 (zh), 混乱 (zh) ‎(hùnluàn), 橫七豎八 (zh), 横七竖八 (zh) ‎(héngqīshùbā)

• Danish: i vildrede

• Finnish: sekaisin (fi), sikin sokin (fi)
• Russian: вверх дном ‎(vverx dnom), в беспоря́дке (ru) ‎(v besporjádke)
• Spanish: hecho un lío

in a state of dispute or disagreement

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 吵架 (zh) ‎(chǎojià), 不和 (zh) ‎(bùhé)

• Finnish: riidoissa, napit vastakkain

• French: ne pas être sur la même longueur d'ondes
• Icelandic: elda grátt silfur
• Russian: please add this translation if you can

References

• at sixes and sevens at OneLook Dictionary Search
• "At sixes and sevens" in Michael Quinion, Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds, 2004.