cross up

cross up idiom
  1. Betray, double-cross, cheat, as in Jack crossed up his buddies and told the police they had broken in. Originally this usage often was put simply as to cross. [Early 1800s]
  2. Confuse, muddle, as in We all planned to meet at the restaurant but several of us got crossed up as to time and place.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.