Englishat loggerheads
Meaning: In strong disagreement, in a quarrel; at an impasse.
Example: “The two departments have been at loggerheads over the budget for months.”
Equivalents in other languages
Dutch: in de clinch liggen Literally: To lie in the clinch
Origin: A "loggerhead" started out as an insult for a stupid person — a blockhead — with Shakespeare using it that way in Love's Labour's Lost (1588): "you whoreson logger-head." The word's more literal 17th-century sense was an iron tool with a long handle and a heavy, bulbous end, heated and used aboard ships for melting pitch during caulking work. "At loggerheads," first recorded in the 1670s, likely grew from that heavy tool doubling as an improvised weapon when a dispute turned physical — the exact leap from tool to idiom isn't documented in detail, but the image of two people squared off, each ready to swing something solid, is intact regardless.
More English idioms
- have bats in one's belfry Harmlessly crazy or eccentric.
- beat someone to the punch To do something before someone else does it.
- behind the eight ball In a difficult situation or position.
- hit someone below the belt To act unfairly.
- beside oneself Distraught; very anxious and troubled.
- beside the point Irrelevant.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Eres todo un personaje Said with deep affection: you're unforgettable, one of a kind, impossible to replace.
- Sei una forza della natura You're unstoppable — your energy and drive are bigger than any obstacle.
- Hai le mani d'oro You're extraordinarily skilled with your hands — a craftsperson, cook, or fixer of legend…
Keep exploring