Idiom of the Week – Week 43

Each week of 2017 we present an English idiom.

“to get (one’s) wires crossed”: to have a different understanding of the same thing, a misunderstanding; s. falsch verstehen, einander vorbeireden

Tip: Always use a plural pronoun, i.e. “we”, “you (two)”, “they”. One person can’t get his or her wires crossed.

Example 1:  No, that’s not at all my understanding of the situation. Looks like we got our wires crossed.

Example 2:  They’re on site but no one else is there. Seems like they got their wires crossed about the location.

Mindy Ehrhart Krull
About the author

Originally from the US, Mindy Ehrhart Krull holds a master's degree in journalism and has been teaching English and working as an author, editor and proofreader in Germany since 2008.

At DELS, she leads a team of several English trainers and language professionals.

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