Region: General | Usage example: When the policy shifted, staff did not know which way was up.

Not know which way is up

Meaning

Be disoriented or unsure of what is happening.

Used whenever a situation is confusing or chaotic.

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

General metaphor from high winds or storms making orientation difficult.

Used since the nineteenth century in newspaper reports.