The literal meaning:
* Heads: The side of a coin with the portrait of a person (usually a monarch).
* Tails: The opposite side of the coin, often featuring an emblem or symbol.
The figurative meaning:
* Make heads or tails: To understand or decipher something.
* Something: A situation, problem, or piece of information that is confusing or difficult to comprehend.
Evolution of the idiom:
The phrase "make heads or tails" originally referred to the process of determining the outcome of a coin toss. This is reflected in the phrase "call heads or tails."
Over time, the idiom evolved to represent the act of trying to understand something that is ambiguous or complex. The imagery of a coin toss perfectly captures the feeling of trying to find a clear answer or interpretation from something that seems equally likely to be one thing or another.
Examples:
* "I can't make heads or tails out of this instruction manual."
* "She's so cryptic; I can never make heads or tails out of what she's trying to say."
* "The situation was so chaotic, I couldn't make heads or tails out of what was happening."
In essence, the idiom "make heads or tails out of something" implies the struggle to understand something confusing, like trying to decipher the outcome of a coin toss.