IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishget the wrong end of the stick
Meaning: To misunderstand something completely.
Example: “She got the wrong end of the stick and thought the party was canceled.”
Origin: A stick picked up by the wrong end is useless, or worse; one old explanation points to a walking stick grasped by its muddy tip. The British phrase is recorded from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Italian: Capire fischi per fiaschi Literally: To understand whistles as flasks
More English idioms
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- put down roots To settle somewhere permanently.
- start off on the wrong foot To begin something badly.
- take one's breath away To astonish someone with beauty or surprise.
- go away empty-handed To get nothing at all.
- hit rock bottom To reach the lowest possible point.
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