get hold of the wrong end of the stick

To misunderstand something. He must have gotten hold of the wrong end of the stick about something when I was talking to him earlier, because he has started acting really odd whenever I see him now. Whoa, don't get hold of the wrong end of the stick now—I'm not romantically interested in you! We're just friends! Every week, I explain the rules of football to him, and he still always gets hold of the wrong end of the stick.

See also: end, get, hold, of, stick, wrong

get the wrong end of the stick

get hold of the wrong end of the stick

INFORMAL

If someone gets the wrong end of the stick or gets hold of the wrong end of the stick, they completely misunderstand a situation or something that is said. You got the wrong end of the stick — I invited him to be kind, not because I fancied him! Did I get hold of the wrong end of the stick? Was that not what he meant?

get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick

misunderstand someone or something completely.

get (hold of) the ˌwrong end of the ˈstick

(British English, informal) understand somebody/something in the wrong way: You’ve got the wrong end of the stick. He doesn’t owe me money, I owe him! OPPOSITE: get something right/straight