arsy varsy
- idiom
- Archaic
:
desordenado
- The files were sorted arsy varsy, making it impossible to find anything.
Examples
-
The room was all arsy varsy after the party.
-
She tried to explain her idea, but it all came out arsy varsy and unclear.
-
After the sudden change in leadership, the company was completely arsy varsy for weeks.
-
Why is everything so arsy varsy today?
-
After the sudden change in leadership, the company was completely arsy varsy, causing confusion among the staff.
-
When I returned home, I found my desk in an arsy varsy state with papers scattered everywhere.
-
The arrangements for the event were arsy varsy, leading to delays and misunderstandings.
Synonyms
116
4.7
Not organized and full of confusion
18
1.0
Messy and not in order, with things mixed up
9
9.9
Messy and not organized
1
7.5
Mixed up and in a messy, confused state
1
8.7
Very badly organized and causing confusion
In a confused and disorganized state
Very messy and not organized
With much hurry and disorder
Antonyms
How Chaotic
116
4.7
- Archaic
- US
38
3.1
233
1.0
- Informal
82
4.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
arsy + varsy
Both constituent items ('arsy' and 'varsy') are non-lexical/nondictionary forms, so a learner who knows the literal meanings of the parts would have nothing to compose. The phrase is a slang rhyming reduplication with an idiomatic meaning ('messy/chaotic') that cannot be predicted from the parts, making it opaque to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Arsy varsy is a playful rhyming pair that probably began in everyday speech as a silly way to say things are turned the wrong way. The picture of arsy and varsy tumbling about and everything being mixed up is why it now means 'in a state of confusion' or 'chaotic'.