# at sixes and sevens

> English word · Prep_phrase

## Definitions
1. In a state of confusion.
2. In a state of dispute or disagreement.

## Etymology
From earlier on six and seven, from Middle English on sixe and sevene, of unknown origin, though it may have originated from the game of hazard and the Old French cinc (“five”) and sis (“six”), the riskiest numbers to shoot for, which were misheard and folk-etymologized into English as "six" and "seven".

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/at-sixes-and-sevens