Have you seen the phrase 'at sixes and sevens' somewhere and would like to see some more context behind the meaning and origin of the saying? The phrase 'sixes and sevens' is an English figure of speech that used to be more common in older texts. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of the phrase.
Meaning
The saying 'at sixes and sevens' is a common English figurative expression.
The phrase 'at sixes and sevens' is used to refer to situations, and means that something is confusing or in a state of panic.
If someone is said to be 'at sixes and sevens' then the speaker implies that the person they are referring to is confused about something.
If an entire situation is referred to as 'at sixes and sevens' then it means the same, and that the situation is in confusion or chaos.
The phrase 'at sixes and sevens' is most common as a whole phrase, as there would be no way to shorten it for it to make sense.
There is no plural use of the phrase, and the same phrase can be used to refer to single situations or multiple ones.
Example Usage
“When we got to the preschool, everything was in sixes and sevens. When Roger has too much sugar, he really goes all over the place. He broke three noses.”
“I don't know how I'm ever going to sort out all this paperwork. Everything has been in sixes and sevens since the last owner left the business.”
“Everything was in sixes and sevens at the office. I mean, there was coffee everywhere and it was clear that Heather just had enough that day.”
“His room was in sixes and sevens, we made him clean it immediately and I don't even want to know what fresh hell he was hiding under his bed.”
Origin
The origin of the phrase 'at sixes and sevens' is disputed by online language resources, though most are of the opinion that the phrase might have come from dice games: this is where the most likely first and literal meaning of the term could have been found.
While the first use of the phrase is difficult to track according to most online language resources, the saying was mentioned in 1867 by Thomas Hill as one of its early uses. There are some resources which say the initial use might have been helped forward by the further use of the term by the writer Chaucer.
Throughout the mid-1800s, the phrase would become more common as an English saying and its use would continue through the 1900s.
By this point in time, the phrase was no longer associated with gambling but could be used as a figure of speech that refers to anything in disarray or chaos.
Phrases Similar to At Sixes and Sevens
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Phrases Opposite to Sixes and Sevens
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What is the Correct Saying?
- [something is] at sixes and sevens
- [something is at] sixes and sevens
Ways People May Say Sixes and Sevens Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone can use the phrase 'sixes and sevens' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the phrase when it is used.
The original use of the phrase used to refer to gambling, though today the phrase only means that something is a mess or in chaos.
The phrase originates from English, and might not translate well as a direct phrase into other languages.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Sixes and Sevens
The correct way to use the phrase 'sixes and sevens' is to say that something is 'in sixes and sevens'; the phrase implies that something is in chaos, whether it is something descriptive or something physical.
'Sixes and sevens' is rarely used as a gambling term in conversation today, but its most common use is as the figurative phrase.