Select the correct idiom to fill in the blank in the following sentence:-
We were talking ______. I was talking about the exams, and you thought I meant the course as a whole.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) : at cross purposes*
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At cross purposes means that two or more people believe that they are discussing the same topic, but they are actually talking about different things, resulting in a misunderstanding.
The example perfectly illustrates this: one person's intent (exams) was misunderstood by the other (the whole course).
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To some purpose: Means with a useful or successful result.
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In the dark: Means unaware or uninformed about the relevant facts.
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Out of the loop: Means not part of a group that is kept informed about something.
None of the other options relate to the specific issue of discussing two different subjects simultaneously.