make head or tail of vs make heads or tails of

Both phrases are correct, but the more common and idiomatic expression is 'make heads or tails of.' They both mean to understand or make sense of something.

Last updated: April 07, 2024 • 217 views

This phrase is correct but less common than the alternative.

"make head or tail of"

This phrase means to understand or make sense of something, but it is less commonly used than 'make heads or tails of.'

Show examples from the web [+]

make head or tail of
But don't ask me why. I cannot make head or tail of it.
I can't make head or tail of this.
All right, let's get this stuff to Len, see if he can make head or tail of it.
I can't make head or tail of this navigation.
I can't make head or tail of Charlie's chicken scratch!
I can't make head or tail out of it.
Could you make head or tail of them?
I couldn't make head or tail.
I can't make head or tail of England's calculations.
Now the answer... is here in somewhere, if I can make head or tail of it.
So, how can the average user or the candidate-dancer make head or tail of this jumbled officers in this noisy carnival of marvels?
How can you make head or tail of that?
I cannot make heads or tails of this code.
I can't make heads or tails of this thing.
See if you can make heads or tails of it.
make heads or tails out of anything...
They couldn't make heads or tail of his ideas.
Even Dalton, the big brain, can't make heads or tails of it.
Look, I still think I'm right about the obelisk, but I can't make heads or tails of its programming.
Man, I cannot make heads or tails out of all this redistricting business.

Alternatives:

make heads or tails of

This phrase is the more common and idiomatic expression.

"make heads or tails of"

This phrase means to understand or make sense of something. It is the preferred and more commonly used version of the expression.

Show examples from the web [+]

I cannot make heads or tails of this code.
See if you can make heads or tails of it.
Even Dalton, the big brain, can't make heads or tails of it.
Look, I still think I'm right about the obelisk, but I can't make heads or tails of its programming.
We only got a few hours left till the end of Ellie's shift and I can't make heads or tails of this thing.
Marc can't make heads or tails of them.
I couldn't make heads or tails of that movie.
They couldn't make heads or tails of it.
I couldn't make heads or tails of it, to tell you the truth.
Anil couldn't get the Observer to make heads or tails of it either.
Anil couldn't get the Observer to make heads or tails of it either.
So far, there's only one file that I can make heads or tails of.
But he'd become obsessed with these high-level differential equations that no one could make heads or tails of.
I've been staring at this data for hours, and I still can't make heads or tails of it.
I can't make heads or tails of.
I can't make heads or tails of it, but you are welcome to look.
Nobody here has been able to make heads or tails of this.
I can't make heads or tails of this.
I wasn't able to make heads or tails of it.
Listen, I'm not Walter, so I can't make heads or tails of what's on this thing.

Alternatives:

make head or tail of

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make head or tail of vs make heads or tails of