When you get your wires crossed, you are confused about something or have misunderstood a person or a situation.
Although this expression can be used about an individual (e.g. I got my wires crossed), it is usually used to describe a situation in which two people have taken a different understanding from the same situation (such as when or where to meet each other). e.g. He wasn’t expecting me for hours – I suppose we got our wires crossed.
A good time to use this expression is when you are dealing with or explaining a misunderstanding. The expression is used to say that the situation is an accident, and no one is to blame, e.g. Oh well! We must have got our wires crossed I suppose.
This expression can also be used as a noun phrase – crossed wires. e.g. I waited for him for ages but he didn’t turn up. It’s a case of crossed wires I suppose.
Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?
Accent: Scotland
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– .
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this face – we our otherwise.
About the sentence
…Let’s talk about this face to face…
Let’s + verb is a very useful way of introducing a suggestion. e.g. Let’s have a takeaway tonight – I can’t be bothered to cook.
The phrase face to face is a synonym for in person. If you talk to someone face to face, then you are physically together, rather than talking over the phone or online. e.g. I haven’t had a face to face meeting with my colleagues for months now. We all work remotely.
Accent: North America
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brownie tart – .
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The waiter brownie instead lemon tart – suppose.
Accent: North America
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Michael . .
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Michael was us here at 3. have got .
About the sentence
…Michael was supposed to meet us here at 3…
If you say that something is supposed to happen or someone is supposed to do something, then you are saying that it should happen according to a plan, the rules, expectations etc. e.g. I’m supposed to be giving a presentation today but I think I’ll need to pull out – I’m losing my voice.
…we must have got our wires crossed…
Must have + past participle is used to speculate about the past. This is when you don’t know what happened for sure, but are ‘guessing’ with varying levels of certainty.
When you are almost certain about what happened based on logic or evidence, then you can use must have + past participle. e.g. Jess must have gone home – her office is locked and her coat is gone.
Extra practice
When was the last time you got your wires crossed? What happened?
In your opinion, what are some common causes of crossed wires in communication, especially in a professional setting? How can these misunderstandings be prevented?
How do cultural or language differences contribute to crossed wires? Have you ever experienced this while interacting with someone from a different background?
How important do you think active listening is in avoiding crossed wires? Can you think of a situation where better listening could have prevented a misunderstanding?
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