At Loggerheads: When to Call a Truce 🤝
At loggerheads, to be - To disagree, dispute, or quarrel. Historically, a logger was a heavy wooden block, and one meaning of “loggerhead” is “blockhead,” a stupid person or dolt. Possibly this meaning led to the phrase “at loggerheads,” with the idea that only dolts would engage in a quarrel. Shakespeare used the word as an adjective in The Taming of the Shrew (4.1): “You loggerheaded and unpolish’d grooms.” The full current expression graced us with its presence in the late seventeenth century.
Related Terms
- Head-to-head: Engaging in direct confrontation or competition.
- At odds: To be in conflict or disagreement.
- Tongue-lashing: A verbal scolding or argument.
- Clash of titans: A fierce competition or struggle.
- Cross swords: To engage in a dispute or argument.
- Foe-to-foe: Face-to-face confrontation.
- Engage in fisticuffs: Physical fighting or roughhousing, usually to solve a dispute.
Similar Proverbs & Expressions
- “Agree to disagree.” - Sometimes it’s best to simply accept differing opinions to maintain peace.
- “Fight fire with fire.” - To use the same methods as your opponent, often in confrontation.
- “There’s no use crying over spilt milk.” - Focus on problem-solving rather than arguing over the past.
Humor-Filled Quotes
- “You can’t win an argument with a dolt. You just lose IQ points.” - Anonymous Sage
- “Arguing with a fool proves there are two.” - Doris M. Smith
Literature, Books, Songs, Poetry, and Movies
Books:
- The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Songs:
- “The Boxer” by Simon & Garfunkel 🎶
- “We Can’t Stop” by Miley Cyrus
Movies:
- Rocky (1976)
- Gladiator (2000)
Inspirational Thought-Provoking Farewell
In the orchestra of life, sometimes disputes arise that create disharmony. Remember, even in discord, there’s always a possibility for harmonious resolution. Find the sweet symphony amidst the noise. 📯🎼
### Which of these is a real idiom?
- [x] At loggerheads
- [ ] Dancing on coconut shells
- [ ] Whistling with a mouth full of pebbles
- [ ] Sleeping with one eye talking
> **Explanation:** "At loggerheads" is a genuine idiom denoting a state of dispute or disagreement. The others are whimsically invented.
### Which phrase is genuine?
- [ ] Kissing under portals
- [x] Head-to-head
- [ ] Holding an Eel Banquet
- [ ] Knitting Problems Out
> **Explanation:** "Head-to-head" is the actual phrase, meaning direct confrontation or competition. The others, though imaginative, are not actual idioms.
### True or False: 'Loggerhead' originally referred to a heavy wooden block.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True! Historically, 'loggerhead' did refer to a heavy wooden block and subsequently, it came to mean 'blockhead' or a stupid person, eventually leading to the idiom 'at loggerheads.'
### Which Shakespeare play uses the term 'loggerheaded'?
- [x] The Taming of the Shrew
- [ ] Romeo and Juliet
- [ ] Hamlet
- [ ] Macbeth
> **Explanation:** In "The Taming of the Shrew," Shakespeare uses 'loggerheaded' as an adjective to describe if not the sharpest tools in the shed.
