1
general::
Phrase(s): (all) at sea (about something)
Fig. to be confused; to be lost and bewildered. (Alludes to being lost at sea.) • When it comes to higher math, John is totally at sea. *(all) balled up troubled; confused; in a mess. (*Typically: be ~; get ~.) • John is all balled up because his car was stolen., Phrase(s): at sea
1. Lit. on the sea; away on a voyage on the ocean. • The ship is at sea now, and you can’t disembark. • I spent many happy days at sea on my cruise. 2. Fig. confused; at a loss. • Bill was at sea over the calculus problem. • Reading economic theory leaves me feeling at sea.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs