Table of Contents
- 1 Where did the phrase at loggerheads come from?
- 2 What does the idiom to be at loggerheads mean?
- 3 What does to be at cross purposes mean?
- 4 What is eye peeling?
- 5 What is the idiom of at a stretch?
- 6 What does to be at liberty mean?
- 7 What’s the difference between a logger and a blockhead?
- 8 What did a logger mean in the 17th century?
Where did the phrase at loggerheads come from?
Its origins are mysterious. Loggerhead originally referred to a stupid person, and in the 17th century it took a new definition—thick-headed iron tool. When at loggerheads came about soon thereafter, it may have referred to the use of loggerheads as weapons in fights.
What does the idiom to be at loggerheads mean?
If two or more people or groups are at loggerheads, they disagree very strongly with each other.
What is another word for loggerheads?
What is another word for at loggerheads?
conflicting | discrepant |
---|---|
opposed | opposite |
disagreeing | opposing |
oppugnant | polar |
repugnant | at variance |
What is the meaning of idiom at large?
phrase. If you say that a dangerous person, thing, or animal is at large, you mean that they have not been captured or made safe. The man who tried to have her killed is still at large. Synonyms: free, roaming, on the run, fugitive More Synonyms of at large.
What does to be at cross purposes mean?
: in a way that causes confusion or failure because people are working or talking with different goals or purposes We’ll never succeed together if we continue to work at cross-purposes (with each other).
What is eye peeling?
If you tell someone to keep their eyes peeled for something, you are telling them to watch very carefully for it. [informal]
What is meant by be at daggers drawn?
if two people are at daggers drawn, they feel very angry towards each other. She and her sister are at daggers drawn. Synonyms and related words. To disagree with someone or something.
How do you use loggerheads in a sentence?
in a dispute or confrontation.
- Management and staff are at loggerheads over the plan.
- He and his wife are always at loggerheads.
- The Chancellor is at loggerheads with the Prime Minister over public spending.
- He is at loggerheads with many of his own party over the issue of taxation.
What is the idiom of at a stretch?
: at one time without stopping She can sit and read for hours at a stretch.
What does to be at liberty mean?
at liberty. : able to act or speak freely I’m not at liberty to discuss the project. liberty. noun.
What does a hard nut to crack mean?
Definition of a hard/tough nut (to crack) : a person or thing that is difficult to deal with, understand, or influence The team’s defense is a tough nut to crack. The problem is a hard nut to crack. He’s a tough nut, but I think I can get him to agree to the contract.
Where does the phrase’at loggerheads’come from?
What’s the origin of the phrase ‘At loggerheads’? ‘At loggerheads’ is of UK origin. The singular ‘loggerhead’ occurs as a name in several contexts – as a species of turtle, a bird and as a place name. Originally, a loggerhead was none of these but was used with the meaning of ‘a stupid person – a blockhead’.
What’s the difference between a logger and a blockhead?
at loggerheads. In conflict. A “logger” is a 16th-century term for a block of wood, so a “loggerhead” is a blockhead or fool. They are at loggerheads over the best way to lead the committee.
What did a logger mean in the 17th century?
A logger was a thick block of timber which was fastened to a horse’s leg to prevent it from running away. In the 17th century, a loggerhead was also recorded as ‘an iron instrument with a long handle used for melting pitch and for heating liquids’.
What was a loggerhead used for on a deck?
A loggerhead was also a rod of iron with a large knob on one end. This knob was heated and dipped into buckets or pitch to melt it so it could be used for caulking. The pitch caulking between deck boards had to be regularly removed and repitched, for example.