Make heads or tails of
/meɪk hɛdz ɔr teɪlz ʌv/
B2
Definition
This phrase is used when someone tries to understand or figure out something that is confusing or unclear. If you "can't make heads or tails of" something, it means you cannot understand it at all. It is often used when information or a situation is mixed up or does not make sense.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
To understand something confusing or unclear
- •I can't make heads or tails of this math problem.
- •She tried to make heads or tails of the instructions, but they were too complicated.
- •We couldn’t make heads or tails of the directions the guide gave us.
To fail to understand something
- •He made no heads or tails of the strange handwriting.
- •They couldn’t make heads or tails of the new software interface.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "make heads or tails of" like "understand," but only when things are confusing or mixed up.
- ✓Picture a coin with two sides: heads and tails. You try to see which side it is, but it’s hard to decide. This shows confusion.
- ✓It's the feeling when you look at a messy puzzle and don’t know where pieces go.
- ✓Sounds like "make heads or tails" → imagine flipping a coin and trying to guess the side, but you can't tell; this shows confusion and trying to understand.
- ✓Imagine a story where someone reads a strange message and tries to figure it out but fails—that's not making heads or tails of it.
- ✓NOT like "know" (simple understanding), "make heads or tails of" shows difficulty or confusion.
- ✓NOT like "guess" (random choice), it means trying hard to understand, not just guessing.
- ✓NOT like "clear" or "obvious," it is used when things are unclear or confusing.
Try Other Words
- •Figure out: to find the answer or understand something (Use when you want to say you are trying to solve or understand something)
- •Make sense of: to understand something confusing (Use when something is unclear and you try to understand it)
- •Comprehend: to understand fully (Use in more formal or serious contexts)
Unboxing
- •Phrase parts: "make" (to create or do) + "heads or tails" (two sides of a coin) + "of" (showing relation)
- •Origin: Comes from the idea of flipping a coin with two sides (head and tail), meaning trying to decide or understand which side is which
- •Historical use: Used since the 1600s to express confusion or difficulty in understanding something, like a coin toss that is unclear
- •Modern usage: Common idiom in English to say someone is trying to understand something confusing or complicated
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a time when you couldn’t make heads or tails of something? What was confusing about it?
•How do you try to make heads or tails of difficult information when you first see it?
Fill in the blanks
1.I tried to ___ make heads or tails of the instructions, but they were written in very difficult language.
2.When the story was too complicated, I just couldn’t ___ make heads or tails of it.
3.She asked for help because she couldn’t ___ make heads or tails of the confusing map.
4.Unlike simple questions, this problem is so hard that many students can’t ___ make heads or tails of it.
5.Sometimes, people say they can ___ make heads or tails of a situation when it feels very confusing or unclear.
6.To ___ make heads or tails of a new device, you often need to read the manual carefully.
7.Even after reading the letter twice, he still couldn’t ___ make heads or tails of the handwriting.