[Vocabulary] Are higgledy-piggledy and topsy-turvy have the same meaning ?

[mrmvp]

Are the following phrases have the same meaning if not, please explain to me what do they mean?

Higgledy-piggledy

Topsy-turvy


Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

[STRIKE]Are[/STRIKE] Do the following phrases have the same meaning? If not, please explain to me what [STRIKE]do[/STRIKE] they mean​.

Higgledy-piggledy

Topsy-turvy

No. "Higgledy-piggedly" means messy, disorganised, all over the place. "Topsy-turvy" means upside down.

 

[mrmvp]

No. "Higgledy-piggedly" means messy, disorganised, all over the place. "Topsy-turvy" means upside down.

Does any of them means confusion?

You mentioned that "Topsy-turvy" meant upside down which is similar to the meaning of "Higgledy-piggedly".

Can I say, when I came to the room, it was topsy-turvy? I mean scattered and disorganised.

 

[emsr2d2]

Upside down is not the same as all over the place.

Imagine a child's room - if there are clothes and toys everywhere, nothing is in the right place, it's a real mess - his/her stuff is all higgledy-piggledy.
Imagine a beer bottle - it should stand on its bottom and its lid should be at the top. Now invert it (turn it 180 degrees vertically). Now it is standing on its lid and the bottom of the bottle is at the top. It's upside down.

However, having said that topsy-turvy means only upside down, I realise now that I have heard it used to mean messy or disorganised so yes, you could say that the things in the room are topsy-turvy. Don't say that the room itself is topsy-turvy.

 

[mrmvp]

Thank you so much.

Last question , Does any of "higgledy-piggledy" and "topsy-turvy" mean confusion?

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you so much.

Last question ​- does [STRIKE]any of[/STRIKE] either "higgledy-piggledy" [STRIKE]and[/STRIKE] or "topsy-turvy" mean confusion?

No.