One of my recent characters was an Admiral. So I had the opportunity to research nautical terms/phrases, etc. and I learned that many phrases originating from the days of sail have been adopted into everyday use. Undoubtedly, seafaring is also the source of more false etymology than any other. Luckily, recorded records help us distinguish the truth. I thought I would list some of the phrases I came across in my research. All at sea Meaning:In a state of confusion and disorder.Origin:This is an extension of the nautical phrase 'at sea'. It dates from the days of sail when accurate navigational aids weren't available. Any ship that was out of sight of land was in an uncertain position and in danger of becoming lost. 'At sea' has been in use since the 18th century, as here, in Sir William Blackstone's Commentaries on the laws of England, 1768: "If a court of equity were still at sea, and floated upon the occasional opinion which the judge who happened to preside might entertain of conscience in every particular case." The earliest reference to 'all at sea' in print that I can find is from Travel and adventure in south-east Africa, 1893, by Frederick C. Selous: "I was rather surprised to find that he seemed all at sea, and had no one ready to go with me." From the web site: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/all-at-sea.html
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