| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | a can of worms | a confusing, troublesome situation |
| 2. | a dog’s breakfast | a complete mess |
| 3. | a fine kettle of fish | a confusing predicament |
| 4. | a maze | a confusing situation |
| 5. | a minefield | a tricky, confusing situation |
| 6. | a sticky wicket | a difficult, confusing situation |
| 7. | a tangled web | a complicated, confusing situation |
| 8. | all at sea | completely confused or lost |
| 9. | all mixed up | confused; mistaken about things |
| 10. | all over the place | disorganized; mentally scattered |
| 11. | all tangled up | confused; complicated |
| 12. | at a loss | not knowing what to do |
| 13. | at my wits’ end | desperate and confused |
| 14. | at sixes and sevens | in confusion and disorder |
| 15. | at the end of my rope | no idea what to do |
| 16. | away with the fairies | daydreaming; not focused |
| 17. | back to square one | back to the beginning |
| 18. | back to the drawing board | start over after confusion |
| 19. | beats me | I don’t know |
| 20. | between a rock and a hard place | stuck between difficult choices |
| 21. | can’t for the life of me | cannot remember or understand |
| 22. | can’t get a handle on it | cannot understand or control it |
| 23. | can’t get my head around it | cannot understand it |
| 24. | can’t make head or tail | cannot understand at all |
| 25. | can’t put my finger on it | can’t identify the cause |
| 26. | can’t see the wood for trees | miss the big picture |
| 27. | caught off guard | surprised into confusion |
| 28. | caught on the hop | surprised and confused |
| 29. | caught unawares | surprised and confused |
| 30. | Chinese whispers | message becomes distorted |
| 31. | deer caught in the headlights | stunned into confusion |
| 32. | don’t know my elbow from my ear | very confused or ignorant |
| 33. | don’t know up from down | completely disoriented |
| 34. | don’t know what to make of it | cannot interpret it |
| 35. | don’t know where I stand | uncertain about my position |
| 36. | down the rabbit hole | deep into confusing details |
| 37. | get wires crossed | misunderstand due to confusion |
| 38. | go down a rabbit hole | get lost in details |
| 39. | go round in circles | make no progress; confused |
| 40. | going round in circles | making no progress |
| 41. | head in the clouds | dreamy and inattentive |
| 42. | I haven’t a clue | I don’t know at all |
| 43. | I’m in the dark | I lack information |
| 44. | in a blind panic | panicked and confused |
| 45. | in a fog | unable to think clearly |
| 46. | in a to-do | a fuss and confusion |
| 47. | in chaos | in total confusion |
| 48. | in disarray | in confusion and disorder |
| 49. | in knots | tense and confused |
| 50. | in two minds | unable to decide |
| 51. | it’s all Greek to me | completely unintelligible |
| 52. | it’s anyone’s guess | nobody really knows |
| 53. | it’s beyond me | I can’t understand it |
| 54. | it’s over my head | too hard to understand |
| 55. | left in the dark | not told important information |
| 56. | left scratching my head | puzzled and confused |
| 57. | like a babe in the woods | naive and easily confused |
| 58. | like a deer in headlights | frozen with confusion |
| 59. | like a fish out of water | uncomfortable and confused |
| 60. | like a headless chicken | frantic and disorganized |
| 61. | like a lost sheep | helpless and confused |
| 62. | lose one’s bearings | become disoriented |
| 63. | lost in thought | preoccupied; not attentive |
| 64. | lost the plot | became confused about events |
| 65. | mixed up | confused; not thinking straight |
| 66. | muddy the waters | make things more confusing |
| 67. | no wiser | still confused |
| 68. | none the wiser | still not understanding |
| 69. | not all there | not thinking clearly |
| 70. | not know the first thing | know nothing about it |
| 71. | not know what hit me | be stunned and confused |
| 72. | not know which way to turn | be unsure what to do |
| 73. | not with it | mentally unfocused or confused |
| 74. | of two minds | torn between choices |
| 75. | on the horns of a dilemma | facing two bad choices |
| 76. | out of my depth | beyond my ability to understand |
| 77. | out of sorts | not feeling right; muddled |
| 78. | out of the loop | not included or informed |
| 79. | out to lunch | not thinking clearly |
| 80. | puzzled as to | uncertain about |
| 81. | scratch your head | be puzzled |
| 82. | scratching my head | puzzled; trying to understand |
| 83. | taken aback | surprised and confused |
| 84. | taken by surprise | suddenly confused |
| 85. | talking at cross purposes | misunderstanding each other |
| 86. | telephone game | message becomes distorted |
| 87. | thrown for a loop | suddenly confused or shocked |
| 88. | thrown into confusion | made confused suddenly |
| 89. | thrown off balance | made uncertain and confused |
| 90. | tied in knots | mentally tangled and anxious |
| 91. | up a blind alley | pursuing a mistaken line |
| 92. | up in the air | uncertain; not decided |
| 93. | up the creek | in serious trouble; stuck |
| 94. | water under the bridge | past issues no longer matter |
| 95. | wild-goose chase | a pointless search |
| 96. | wires got crossed | miscommunication caused confusion |
| 97. | with bated breath | anxiously waiting, uncertain |
| 98. | without a clue | having no idea |
| 99. | without rhyme or reason | with no clear logic |
| 100. | your guess is as good as mine | I don’t know either |
