The idiom "乱七八糟" is formed from the direct coupling of two historical references to periods of extreme disorder and chaos. "乱七" refers to the disastrous "Rebellion of the Seven States" during the Western Han dynasty, a violent civil war among seven royal families. "八糟" points to the even more catastrophic "Rebellion of the Eight Princes" during the Western Jin dynasty, a brutal power struggle that shattered the empire. Over time, these two memorable, alliterative phrases for ancient catastrophes were combined into a single, vivid metaphor for any situation of complete and utter messiness.