In English, what is the difference in meaning between “puzzle me” and “have me puzzled”?

Factual Questions
1

1A) “You’ve plenty of people working for you, yet you hire us for this mission? Your motivations {puzzle me}.”

– vs. –

1B) “You’ve plenty of people working for you, yet you hire us for this mission? Your motivations {have me puzzled}.”
On the same note, how do “confused you” and “had you confused” differ in meaning?

I wonder if there is any notable difference between the two, apart from one being more concise than the other?
2A) “It looked like the King {confused you with someone else} back there for a while. Why don’t you try and brazen it out? Pretend you’re an old friend of his?”

– vs. –

2B) “It looked like the King {had you confused with someone else} back there for a while. Why don’t you try and brazen it out? Pretend you’re an old friend of his?”

2

There is no difference, subtle or otherwise. It puzzles me, it has me puzzled, I find it puzzling, it’s a puzzle - all convey the same meaning.

3

I see no difference in the meaning, just the words being used as a verb and an adjective.

4

The “had” formulation is a bit indirect. And as such make the sentence more complex, more wordy, and more passive.

In general the passive voice is considered poor form. There are places it’s appropriate but in general writers should avoid it. This is *not *an example of the full-bore classic passive voice. But it’s leaning that way.

5

Your motivations puzzle me.

That’s a sentence in active voice.

I am puzzled by your motivations.

That’s a sentence in passive voice.

Your motivations have me puzzled.

That’s a sentence in active voice.

Active and passive voice is defined by what’s happening to the verb of the sentence. What happens to those words after the verb is irrelevant. Active and passive voice doesn’t really have much to do with the usual sense of the words “active” and “passive.” That third sentence above may not be a good way of saying what you want to say, but it doesn’t have to do with active and passive voice.

6

In general, the perfect tenses (have, had) are used to describe actions at a particular point in time.

“Your motivations puzzle me.” – I’m puzzled (time indeterminate).

“Your motivations have me puzzled.” – I’m puzzled NOW. I wasn’t previously.

“Your motivations had me puzzled.” – I WAS puzzled, now I’m not.

In practice the distinction is often subtle, but that’s the rule.

7

I would say that 2B sounds more correct than 2A:

“It looked like the King had you confused with someone else back there for a while.”

This emphasises that it is the King’s state of mind that you are talking about.

But conversationally you could get away with 2A - it just sounds slightly more slangy

8

I find the point you have raised interesting. I hadn’t looked at this sentence from that perspective. :wink: