higgledy-piggledy

American  

[hig-uhl-dee-pig-uhl-dee] / ˈhɪg əl diˈpɪg əl di /

adverb

1. in a jumbled, confused, or disorderly manner; helter-skelter.

---

adjective

1. confused; jumbled.

higgledy-piggledy British  

/ ˈhɪɡəldɪˈpɪɡəldɪ /

adjective

1. in a jumble

---

noun

1. a muddle

Etymology

Origin of higgledy-piggledy

First recorded in 1590–1600; rhyming compound of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Instead of obsessing over the latest higgledy-piggledy, do something useful.

From Los Angeles Times

That could be due in part to Ötzi’s diet, says Nina Jablonski, an anthropologist at Pennsylvania State University, who notes that the evolution of light skin in people in Europe was a “higgledy-piggledy process.”

From Science Magazine

The 30-year-old said: "Instead of buying all matching furniture I just bought higgledy-piggledy bits and painted them to match."

From BBC

Ukrainians upload a higgledy-piggledy stream of information about Russians killed in the war on several channels on the Telegram messaging application, including the names of the deceased.

From New York Times

Much of the turmoil, critics say, is rooted in Disney’s higgledy-piggledy decision to become the centerpiece of the contemporary culture wars.

From Washington Times