out of kilter

out of kilter

1. Out of equilibrium; not straight, level, or aligned properly. This wall is a little out of kilter. We'll need to account for that during the renovation.
2. In a state of confusion or chaos. The economy has remained out of kilter in many countries across Europe, even as the global economy has started to recover. It seems like everything in my life has gone out of kilter recently.
3. Not working correctly or properly; out of order; out of w(h)ack. It sounds like your car's engine is a bit out of kilter. I'd recommend taking it to a mechanic before you go for any long drives.
See also: kilter, of, out
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

*out of kilter

 and *off-kilter 
1. Lit. out of balance; crooked or tilted. (*Typically: be ~; get ~; knock something ~.) John, your tie is sort of off-kilter. Let me fix it. Please straighten the picture on the wall. It's out of kilter.
2. Fig. malfunctioning; on the fritz. (*Typically: be ~; go ~.) My furnace is out of kilter. I have to call someone to fix it. This computer is out of kilter. It doesn't let me log on.
See also: kilter, of, out
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

out of kilter

Also, out of whack. Not properly adjusted, not working well, out of order. For example, This whole schedule is out of kilter with the rest of our projects, or The wheels on the trailer are out of whack. The first term, also spelled kelter, dates from the early 1600s and its origin is not known. The precise allusion of the variant, a colloquial term dating from the late 1800s, is also unclear. Possibly it relates to a whack, or blow, throwing something off, or some suggest, to wacky, that is, "crazy."
See also: kilter, of, out
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

out of kilter

out of harmony or balance.
Kilter , dating from the early 17th century, was a dialect word meaning ‘frame or order’. It is now used only in this phrase.
See also: kilter, of, out
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

out of ˈkilter

out of harmony or balance; not working properly: Long-haul flights tend to throw your body clock out of kilter for a couple of days.
See also: kilter, of, out
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

out of kilter

1. mod. not functioning properly; on the fritz; out of w(h)ack. My car’s engine is out of kilter and needs some repair work.
2. mod. out of square. That corner is not square, and the wall even looks out of kilter.
See also: kilter, of, out
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • be out of kilter
  • kilter
  • be off-kilter
  • off-kilter
  • go out of kilter
  • get off-kilter
  • get out of kilter
  • go off-kilter
  • out of kilter/whack
  • straighten
References in periodicals archive
Minister without Portfolio Mr Mandelson told the Newspaper Society luncheon the second city was "out of kilter" with other regions, who were now enthusiastically promoting celebrations.
You are out of `out of kilter' over the Millennium, says Mandelson
Much of the movement is out of kilter, with dancers hinging away from or falling off center, pushing through space with flexed hands and feet.
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble
Scientists believe the clay to be fallout from an impact dust cloud that would have circled the Earth, blocking out light and knocking the climate out of kilter.
A buried Iowa crater finally comes of age
"The current balance between the 'public interest in freedom of the press and free expression' and other matters of public interest appears to me out of kilter," she told the inquiry in a written witness statement.
Readers 'struggle to judge the truth'
Perhaps it would be no bad thing if people with such an attitude were to holiday elsewhere, in particular out of kilter Englishwomen.
Letter: VIEWPOINT - Disease ignorance
That, Moxon pointed out, threw everything else out of kilter.
Tait the man for Aussies' Ashes quest
A SHY teenager's mundane routine is thrown out of kilter when she learns she is a princess.
Heir we go again; Video Reviews
One section is angular and asymmetrical; the shapes are out of kilter, yet Caponigro remains centered throughout.
Changing the Direction of the Wind
Every now and then, something happens that makes you think the world is out of kilter.
It's only heritage
TWO out of five employees feel their lives are out of kilter and the balance between work and home is wrong, says a recent report.
The strain drain
What was out of kilter in the festival was that dancers not yet able to handle half-hour stretches did so anyway, and works like Raymond Johnson's My Sin and TV Land lost their point.
Black Choreographers Moving Toward the 21st Century 5
Our old calendar was out of kilter with the Gregorian calendar but the thought of this plant not being in flower for Christmas delayed our accepting the new calendar for 200 years!
Seasonal rose
The block in which they are housed is nothing short of an eyesore and decidedly out of kilter with the other buildings on this famous street.
Letter: Good riddance
Some critics reckoned the mix was a bit out of kilter but sexy couture has always been Vivienne's stockin' trade.
KEPT IN SUSPENDERS
There were astonishing phrases in which she was so out of kilter, so at odds with her own body, that it amounted to a bizarre, twisted kind of virtuosity, though the presentation was anything but theatrical or grotesque.
Pretty Ugly Dance Company