in a muddle
to be in a state of chaos and confusion
TRANSLATION
muddle = das Kuddelmuddel, das Durcheinander in a muddle = eine chaotische bzw. verwirrende Situation, durcheinander --- GOOGLE INDEX in a muddle: approximately 60,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Competition may leave cell phone users IN A MUDDLE.
(The Hindu Business Line)
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Planning ministers are IN A MUDDLE over water shortages.
(The Daily Telegraph)
(The Hindu Business Line)
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Planning ministers are IN A MUDDLE over water shortages.
(The Daily Telegraph)
Did you
know?
WORD ORIGIN
Muddle, which is an untidy or confused state, is possibly from the obsolete Dutch moddelen, to make water muddy, from Middle Dutch, a frequentative of modden, to make muddy, from modde, mud.
Muddle is commonly used in several other expressions:
muddle-headed (adjective) - not thinking clearly or in an organized way
muddle along (phrasal verb) - to continue doing something with no clear purpose or plan (You need to set some goals and stop muddling along!)
muddle through (phrasal verb) - to manage to do something although you are not organized and do not know how to do it (I guess I'll have to just muddle through until I get it done.)
muddle something up (phrasal verb) - to arrange things in the wrong order (As soon as I tidy up around the house, my children just muddle everything up.)
muddle someone up with something (phrasal verb) - to think that a person or thing is someone or something else because they are very similar (How embarrassing. I muddled that woman up with an old colleague of mine.)
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SYNONYMS
to be: confused, confounded, disorganized, flustered, bewildered, discombobulated, perplexed, befuddled, dazed, in a mess
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"His desk is in a real muddle, I wonder how he can ever find anything."
Muddle, which is an untidy or confused state, is possibly from the obsolete Dutch moddelen, to make water muddy, from Middle Dutch, a frequentative of modden, to make muddy, from modde, mud.
Muddle is commonly used in several other expressions:
muddle-headed (adjective) - not thinking clearly or in an organized way
muddle along (phrasal verb) - to continue doing something with no clear purpose or plan (You need to set some goals and stop muddling along!)
muddle through (phrasal verb) - to manage to do something although you are not organized and do not know how to do it (I guess I'll have to just muddle through until I get it done.)
muddle something up (phrasal verb) - to arrange things in the wrong order (As soon as I tidy up around the house, my children just muddle everything up.)
muddle someone up with something (phrasal verb) - to think that a person or thing is someone or something else because they are very similar (How embarrassing. I muddled that woman up with an old colleague of mine.)
---
SYNONYMS
to be: confused, confounded, disorganized, flustered, bewildered, discombobulated, perplexed, befuddled, dazed, in a mess
---
SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"His desk is in a real muddle, I wonder how he can ever find anything."
