OFF BALANCE

{adj. phr.} 1. Not in balance; not able to stand up straight and not fall; not able to keep from turning over or falling; unsteady. * /Never stand up in a canoe; it will get off balance and turn over./ * /Paul was speeding along on his bicycle, when an unexpected hole in the road caught him off balance and he fell over./ 2. Not prepared; not ready; unable to meet something unexpected. * /Our quarterback kept the other team off balance by changing often from line plays to passes and tricky end runs./ * /The teacher's surprise test caught the class off balance, and nearly everyone got a poor mark./