at sixes and sevens

at sixes and sevens

Seven horizontal eight vertical, Chinese idiom, Pinyin is Q ī h é NGB ā sh ù, meaning some horizontal, some vertical, disorderly. It's messy. From the water margin.

Analysis of Idioms

[synonym] vertical and horizontal [antonym] neat

The origin of Idioms

The 34th chapter of Shi Naian's the complete story of the water margin in Ming Dynasty: "in a field of rubble, countless men and women were killed."

Idiom usage

As an attributive or adverbial; in disorder. The second and third chapter of the scholars written by Wu Jingzi of the Qing Dynasty: "on the main hall, there are many things falling down. In the courtyard, an old Taoist sits sewing his clothes." Zou Taofen's "message from a trace" May 9th: "they naturally sleep or fall on a large deck covered by sunlight." The shelves are full of books, but they are piled up. There are countless tripods of Shang, Yi and Zhou on the table, which are colorful in ancient times. (Chapter 11 of Zeng Pu's the flowers of the evil sea in Qing Dynasty)