[Idiom] MAKE HEADS OR TAILS OF IT. - Effective Techniques for Enhancing Comprehension
Make heads or tails of it.
to understand
'Make heads or tails of it' is a phrase used to express the difficulty in understanding something complex or chaotic. The origin lies in the old coin flipping expression, where predicting heads or tails can be as chance-driven as attempting to understand perplexing issues. The idiom frames confusion in a relatable way, reflecting the everyday struggle to find clarity in disorder.
Example Sentences
I couldn't make heads or tails of the instructions.
The instructions were confusing and incomprehensible.
The code was so complex that she couldn't make heads or tails of it.
The code was so complicated she couldn't understand it.
When reading the old manuscript, historians struggled to make heads or tails of it.
Historians found it difficult to interpret the old manuscript.