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Ammer, Christine. "at loose ends." Writer's Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 14 Apr. 2025. <http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=DOC01525>.
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at loose ends

Definition 
In an unsettled situation; unfinished; unemployed. This term refers to a rope or tether that has become unfastened, leaving one or both ends dangling. It appeared in print as long ago as 1546, when John Heywood's proverb collection stated, "Some loose or od ende in life." Similarly, to tie up loose ends means to settle various unsettled details.

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