tie in a knot
tie (someone or oneself) (up) in(to) a knot
1. To make someone or oneself feel particularly confused, anxious, worried, or upset. I've been planning to propose to James on Sunday, but the nervousness is tying me up in a knot! Now don't go tying yourself in a knot over the details of your papers—at this point, all you need is a cohesive outline.
2. To cause someone or oneself to become flustered while attempting to explain something. Jim's a smart guy, but for some reason he always ties himself up into a knot whenever I ask him to explain something on the computer for me. The complex technical language kept tying me in a knot as I tried to make my presentation to the board.
See also: knot, tie
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
tie something in a knot
to bend something, such as a rope, upon itself to make a knot. I ended up tying the rope in a knot. The rope was tied in a knot and no one could get it undone.
See also: knot, tie
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
- for (one's) (own) sake
- for sake
- keep (someone or something) in sight
- keep in sight
- keep sight of
- keep sight of (someone or something)
- keep sight of somebody/something
- leave (someone, something, or oneself) (wide) open for (something)
- leave oneself wide open for
- leave yourself wide open to something