get (one's) wires crossed
1. Of oneself, to be or become confused, mistaken, or mentally disordered (about something). An allusion to telephone lines being wrongly connected and thus disrupting calls. I'm sorry for bringing you the wrong order, sir, I've been getting my wires crossed all day! Wow, it sounds like you really got your wires crossed about how to process that shipment! Wait, I was supposed to print the handouts for the presentation? Aw man, I got my wires crossed, I guess.
2. Of two or more people, to have a miscommunication between one another, resulting in a mistake or misunderstanding. I'm sorry about all the confusion regarding the contract, Bob—it looks like we got our wires crossed somehow. I think Mary and Robert's fight is really just the because they got their wires crossed. My mom and I got our wires crossed, and now there's no one here to babysit the kids.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
get one's wires crossed
Also, have one's wires crossed. Become or be confused or mistaken about something, as in If you think there's a meeting today, you really have your wires crossed; it's not till next month . This expression transfers a wrongly wired telephone or telegraph connection to human misunderstanding. [Colloquial; early 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.