Meaning of the Idiom ‘at Loggerheads’
To be ‘at loggerheads‘ means to be engaged in a quarrelsome argument; strongly disagreeing. This somewhat formal idiom tends to carry the connotation of being unable to reach an agreement.
Sentence Examples
“The union has been at loggerheads with management on the benefits package for months now.”
“Peace talks are ongoing, but the delegates are at loggerheads on the subject of reparations.”
“This is awkward, Ablert. You know that, don’t you? It jeopardizes a whole raft of other negotiations that the unions are already at loggerheads with management over.” — Made in Dagenham (2010)
“He is at loggerheads with the Empress and has long intended to revolt.” — Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)
“Brother is short-tempered and sister-in-law has great strength, so, naturally, they are always at loggerheads.” — Malliswari (2004)
“The French and the Brazilians are at loggerheads at the WTO over agricultural import barriers. They’ll use anything to hassle the other side.”— Gomez vs. Tavarès (2007)
“Twenty-seven years ago, my aunt eloped with Florence’s uncle. Ever since, our families have been at loggerheads.”— Badhaai Ho Badhaai (2002)
“We can’t be seen to be at loggerheads. It could be damaging for the Crown.” — To Play the King: Episode #1.1 (1993)
Origin
Loggerhead was used as early as the sixteenth century to describe a stupid person. The word meant something akin to blockhead or dunderhead. For example, Shakespeare used the term in The Taming of the Shrew:
Petruchio: “You logger-headed and unpolis’d grooms! What, no attendance? No regard? No duty?
The word ‘logger’ was often used to describe something like a block of wood tied to a horse to keep the horse from wandering (somewhat like a ball and chain).
However, the origin of the idiom appears to be nautical, from the 17th century. There are actually two objects on sailing ships called a loggerhead. One, unique to whaling vessels, was a large wooden bit mounted on the stern of the ship and used to wind the harpoon line when a whale was caught. A loggerhead was also a rod of iron with a large knob on one end. This knob was heated and dipped into buckets or pitch to melt it so it could be used for caulking. The pitch caulking between deck boards had to be regularly removed and repitched, for example. These “loggerheads” were presumably used as convenient weapons, thus leading to the figurative use “at loggerheads.”
The only other use of the term loggerhead, today, is in the name of the loggerhead turtle.
More Idioms Starting with A
More At Idioms
- Jump At Something (chance, offer, opportunity)
- At the Drop of a Hat
- At Hand
- Ill at Ease
- At Your Fingertips
- At Your Wit’s End
More Nautical (Sailing) Idioms
- Go Overboard
- On the Rocks
- With Flying Colors
- The Bitter End, to (until)
- Tell That To The Marines!
- Taken Aback, to be
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