C2idiomcommunicationIELTS-friendly
talk at cross purposes
USUK
to misunderstand each other because each person is talking about something different
Also written 'cross-purposes'. Usually with 'we' or 'they', in the past.
In context
We were talking at cross purposes: I meant the Monday meeting and she meant Friday's.
The landlord and the tenants talked at cross purposes for an hour.
More idioms about communication
- a bone of contentiona subject that people keep arguing about
- a broken recordsomeone who keeps repeating the same thing in an annoying way
- a heart-to-heartan honest, private conversation about personal feelings
- a moot pointUK: a question still open to argument. US: a question that no longer matters in practice.
- a red herringa fact or idea that takes attention away from the real issue