scratch one's head
Express visible bewilderment
To scratch one's head is to express puzzlement or confusion, from the gesture people make when thinking hard about something perplexing.
The phrase usually describes mental effort in the face of something difficult to understand: The policy left economists scratching their heads.
Someone might literally scratch their head while puzzled, but the expression works whether or not the gesture actually occurs.
- furrowed browCreased forehead expression
- doubtLack of firm belief
- perplexityMental state of confusion
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- hard to sayDifficult to verbalize
bewilderment · puzzlement · stumped · drawing a blank · beats me · indecision · biting nails · quizzical · blank stare · pacing · curiosity · mental block · thinking cap · ambiguity · befuddled · pondering · itch · introspection
scratch one's headget it
Understand, often informally
understand · see the light · grasp · comprehend · click
scratch, scratched, scratches, scratching, scratchy, scratcher, ones, oneself, head