At cross purposes
an opposing or contrary purpose.
at cross-purposes, in a way that involves or produces mutual misunderstanding or frustration, usually unintentionally.
noun
a contrary aim or purpose
at cross-purposes, conflicting; opposed; disagreeing
with aims or goals that conflict or interfere with one another, as in i’m afraid the two departments are working at cross purposes. this idiom, first recorded in 1688, may have begun as a 17th-century parlor game called “cross-purposes,” in which a series of subjects (or questions) were divided from their explanations (or answers) and distributed around the room. players then created absurdities by combining a subject taken from one person with an explanation taken from another.
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- Cross-purpose
an opposing or contrary purpose. at cross-purposes, in a way that involves or produces mutual misunderstanding or frustration, usually unintentionally. historical examples i am not pr-ne on my green couch, frayed, frazzled, bowed-down in spirit from a day of frightful stress and cross-purpose. i, mary maclane mary maclane if we find every fact of life […]
- At death's door
the act of ; the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism. compare . an instance of this: a death in the family; letters published after his death. the state of being dead: to lie still in death. extinction; destruction: it will mean the death of […]
- At discretion
the power or right to decide or act according to one’s own judgment; freedom of judgment or choice: it is entirely within my discretion whether i will go or stay. the quality of being discreet, especially with reference to one’s own actions or speech; prudence or decorum: throwing all discretion to the winds, he blurted […]
- At each other's throats
arguing or fighting. for example, it was a very dramatic trial, with the prosecutor and the defense attorney constantly at each other’s throats. this idiom, with its vivid image of two persons trying to strangle each other, is often applied to less physical forms of disagreement.
- At ease
freedom from labor, pain, or physical annoyance; tranquil rest; comfort: to enjoy one’s ease. freedom from concern, anxiety, or solicitude; a quiet state of mind: to be at ease about one’s health. freedom from difficulty or great effort; facility: it can be done with ease. freedom from financial need; plenty: a life of ease on […]