[As now used, f. CROSS a., CROSS- 4: but in early use cross appears to have been a preposition (cross or contrary to the purpose): cf. cross-bliss (CROSS- 10), CROSS-COURSE a.]
1. Contrary or conflicting purpose; contradictoriness of intention.
1681. Cotton, Wond. Peake, 59. We altogether in confusion spoke: But all cross purpose, not a word of sence.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), I. 305. To allow benefit of clergy, and to restrain the press, seems to me to have something of cross-purpose in it.
1797. Burke, Regic. Peace, iii. Wks. VIII. 340. Before men can transact any affair, they must have a common language to speak … otherwise all is cross-purpose and confusion.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, xxxi. He … makes signs, which she always takes up at cross-purpose.
2. pl. The name of a parlor game: cf. CROSS-QUESTION sb. c. Often fig.
1666. Pepys, Diary, 26 Dec. Then to cross purposes, mighty merry; and then to bed.
1698. Farquhar, Love & Bottle, IV. i. I won’t pay you the kisses you won from me last night at cross-purposes.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 504, ¶ 1. The agreeable Pastime in Country-Halls of Cross-purposes, Questions and Commands, and the like.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 545. In the common way of playing at cross purposes, where each party has a quite different sense of the subjects and arguments handled between them.
1860. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., III. 55. Was there ever such a game at cross-purposes as this correspondence of ours.
3. To be at cross-purposes: (of persons) to have plans intended for the same end, but which cross and interfere with each other; to act counter from a misconception by each of the other’s purpose. (Perh. derived from the game.)
1688. Miége, Fr. Dict., s.v. Cross, Cross Purposes, contradictions.
1769. Junius Lett., xvi. 72. No man, whose understanding is not at cross-purposes with itself.
1822. Hazlitt, Table-t., Ser. II. vi. (1869), 135. Such persons … are constantly at cross-purposes with themselves and others.
1868. Rogers, Pol. Econ., vi. (ed. 3), 59. Like some married people, they have been at cross purposes when they should have been at one.
