Where "Not Know If You're Arthur or Martha" Comes From
Nobody knows exactly why "Arthur" and "Martha" were the names chosen, but the phrase was first recorded in The Inverell Times in 1941, in a horse racing context: the newspaper noted that "backers and bookies won't know if they are on Arthur or Martha" when a racehorse named Bar One was given a new name likely to confuse the public and bookmakers. The similar sounds of the two names appears to have been part of the joke.
Through the 1940s the phrase spread into general use as a colourful way of saying someone was thoroughly muddled or overwhelmed — unable to work out something as basic as which name belonged to whom. In more recent use it has also been applied to questions of gender confusion or identity, and in that sense has been exported beyond Australia — though its origins remain firmly Australian.
Source: wordhistories.net — "'not to know whether one is Arthur or Martha'"
"Three kids, a broken washing machine and a work deadline — I don't know if I'm Arthur or Martha today."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Its main, everyday use is simply about being flustered or disorganised — juggling too much at once and losing track of what's happening.
It's a light-hearted, self-deprecating phrase, most often said about yourself rather than aimed at someone else, usually in the middle of a chaotic day.
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