🗓️ Idiom: At Cross Purposes (adj)
💬 Meaning
- When two people are trying to do or say different things without realizing it.
- A misunderstanding where people think they agree but are actually talking about different subjects.
🧠 Example Sentences
- I thought she was talking about next week’s trip, but she meant the meeting. Clearly we were at cross purposes.
- The two departments were working at cross purposes, which caused delays.
- In cross-cultural teams, people can often find themselves at cross purposes without meaning to.
🏛️ Origin
The phrase “at cross purposes” dates back to the 17th century. The word “cross” means opposite or conflicting, and “purposes” refers to intentions or goals. Together, it means people are trying to do different things that don’t match.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The manager and the client were __________, which led to a big misunderstanding.
Answer
at cross purposes
2. Choose the correct meaning of “at cross purposes”:
A) Agreeing fully
B) Working toward different goals without realizing
C) Discussing the same topic
Answer
B) Working toward different goals without realizing
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“They thought they were in agreement, but they were talking about different things.” → Change the sentence using: at cross purposes
Answer
They thought they were in agreement, but they were at cross purposes.
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