Rate this phrase:1.0 / 2 votes

cross-purpose

A conversational game, in which questions and answers are made so as to involve ludicrous combinations of ideas.

Etymology:

  • Attested since the 1660s, originally meaning ‘contradictory intentions.’
380 Views
“

(Can we find and add a quotation of Samuel Pepys to this entry?)

Collection   Edit    

Submitted on July 07, 2010

Additional definitions for 'cross-purpose':

cross-purposeA contrary or conflicting purpose or understanding, especially an unintentional or misconceived one.
See them all »

Translation

Find a translation for the cross-purpose phrase in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to cross-purpose

cross the aisleCross that Bridge when You Come to Itcross the lineDot Your I's and Cross Your T'scross the linecross the floorcross swordscross the floorcross the aislecross that bridge when one gets therecross swordsdon't cross your bridge until you arriv…cross swordshot cross buns

How to pronounce this phrase?

Discuss this cross-purpose phrase with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this cross-purpose definition to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "cross-purpose." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/cross-purpose_11860>.

    Powered by CITE.ME Cite.Me

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest human-edited phrases collection on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a phrases master?

    »
    Of course it's true, I heard it straight from the ______'s mouth.
    A rabbit
    B cat
    C horse
    D hare

    Browse Phrases.com

    #ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ