American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

cause she didn't know anyone in the most popular crowd. [Early 1800s] 2. Confused or disoriented. For example, Two or three beers and she was out of it, or He had no idea where he was or had been; he was totally out of it. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

out of joint

1. Dislocated, as in Trying to break his fall, he put his shoulder out of joint. [Late 1300s] 2. See

NOSE OUT OF JOINT. 3. Out of order, inauspicious or unsatisfactory, as in The entire lineup of our team is out of joint. Shakespeare had this term in Hamlet

(1:5): "The time is out of joint." [Early 1400s]

out of key

hand. see under IN KEY.

out of keeping

hand. see IN KEEPING.

out of kilter Also, out of whack. Not properly adjusted, not working well, out of order. For example, This whole schedule is out of kilter with the rest of our projects, or The wheels on the trailer are out of whack. The first term, also spelled kelter, dates from the early 1600s and its origin is not known. The precise allusion of the variant, a colloquial term dating from the late 1800s, is also unclear. Possibly it relates to a whack, or blow, throwing something off, or, some suggest, to wacky, that is, "crazy."

out of line

1. Uncalled for, improper; inappropriate. For example, His remarks were totally out of line. It is often put as get out of line or step out of line, meaning "behave improperly," as in She really stepped out of line when she called him incompetent in front of his boss. [Late 1700s] 2. Not in agreement with general practice, as in Their prices are way out of line with other hotels. Both def. 1 and 2 are metaphoric expressions that transfer being out of alignment to various kinds of behavior. 3. out of one's line; not in one's line. Not in one's occupation or field of interest. For example, He offered a generous salary, but the work was out of her line, or I'd love to help, but telephone solicitation is not in my line. This usage alludes to line in the sense of "a business or occupation." [Mid-1800s]

out of luck

Having bad fortune, experiencing a misfortune, as in You're out of luck if you want a copy; we just sold the last one. This expression, first recorded in 1867, assumes that good fortune is a finite quantity that one can run out of. However, it generally applies to more temporary circumstances

than being DOWN ON ONE'S LUCK.

out of nowhere Suddenly, unexpectedly, as in That anonymous letter turned up out of nowhere. It is often put as come out of nowhere, as in Their team came out of nowhere and won the state championship. This term uses out of in the sense of "from," and nowhere in the sense of "an unknown place." For a synonym, see OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY.

out of one's

hand. In addition to the following idioms beginning with OUT OF ONE'S, also see under

IN ONE'S.

out of one's depth Also, beyond one's depth. Outside one's understanding or competence, as in He was out of his depth in that advanced calculus class, or The conductor realized that playing the fugue at the right tempo was beyond their depth. This expression alludes to being in water so deep that one might sink. [c. 1600] Also see OVER ONE'S HEAD.

out of one's element

hand. see under IN ONE'S ELEMENT.

out of one's hair

hand. see under IN SOMEONE'S HAIR.

out of one's mind

hand. see GO OUT, def. 5; also, IN ONE'S RIGHT MIND.

out of one's shell

hand. see under IN ONE'S SHELL.

out of one's system Out of one's thoughts or inclinations. It is often put as get something out of one's system, as in You need to get your ex-husband out of your system, or At the annual all-chocolate buffet I try everything, which gets it out of my system for at least a month, or Let him complain as much as he wants so he'll get it out of his system. This idiom uses system in the sense of ''all one's physical and mental functions." [c. 1900]

out of one's way

hand. see GO OUT OF ONE'S WAY; also, OUT OF THE WAY.

out of order

1. Not functioning well, not operating properly or at all, as in The oil burner is out of order again. [Mid1500s] 2. Unsuitable, inappropriate, as in Her comments about the management were out of

order. Also see OUT OF LINE, def. 1. 3. Not following parliamentary procedure, as in

The chair called him out of order.

out of phase Also, out of sync. In an unsynchronized or uncorrelated way. For example,

Inventory control and shipping are out of phase, so we can't rely on their figures, or The lights are out of sync and keep flashing at random. For dates, see the antonym IN PHASE.

out of place

and told him to get out of her sight at once. 2. Unreason

able, excessive, as in Our bill for the wine was out of sight. [Colloquial; late 1800s] 3. Excellent, superb, as in The graduation party was out of sight. This phrase is also used as an interjection meaning "Wonderful!" as in Do I like it? Out of sight! [Slang; second half of 1900s] 4. out of sight, out of mind. What is absent is soon forgotten, as in I don't think of them unless they send a Christmas card?

out of sight, out of mind, I guess. This phrase has been proverbial since Homer's time; the earliest recorded use in English was about 1450.

out of sorts

Irritable, grouchy, as in Don't ask him today?

he's out of sorts. This expression also implies that one's poor spirits result from feeling slightly ill. [Early 1600s] The synonym out of humor, on the other hand, used more in Britain than America, simply means "ill-tempered" or "irritable." [Mid-1600s]

out of square

hand. see under ON THE SQUARE.

out of step

hand. see under IN STEP.

out of stock

hand. see under IN STOCK.

out of the blue

hand. see OUT OF A CLEAR BLUE SKY.

out of the corner of one's eye

Glancing casually or surreptitiously, as in Out of the corner of my eye I saw Justin walking out the door. This expression refers to looking sideways at something rather than directly.

out of the frying pan into the fire

From a bad situation to one that is much worse. For example, After Karen quit the first law firm she went to one with even longer hours?

out of the frying pan into the fire. This expression, a proverb in many languages, was first recorded in English in 1528.

out of the hole

hand. see under IN THE HOLE.

window, as in For the town planners past experience seems to have gone out the window. It alludes to unwanted items being hurled out of the window. [First half of 1900s]

out of the woods

Out of difficulties, danger or trouble, as in We're through the worst of the recession?

we're out of the woods now, or That pneumonia was serious, but Charles is finally out of the woods. This expression, alluding to having been lost in a forest, dates from Roman times; it was first recorded in English in 1792. The British usage is out of the wood.

out of the woodwork Emerging from obscurity or a place of seclusion. It often is put as come

(or crawl) out of the woodwork, as in The candidates for this job were coming out of the woodwork. The expression alludes to insects crawling out of the interior wooden fittings of a house, such as baseboards and moldings. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]

out of thin air

hand. see INTO THIN AIR.

out of this world

Extraordinary, superb, as in Her carrot cake is out of this world. This colloquial term refers to something too good for this world. [Early 1900s]

out of touch

No longer in contact or communication, as in John and Mark have been out of touch for years, or

That speech showed he's out of touch with his constituency. This metaphoric expression alludes to physical contact. [Late 1800s] Also see IN TOUCH.

out of town

Away from the town or city under consideration; away from home. For example, In his new job Tom will be going out of town nearly every week, or He's out of town but I'll have him call you when he gets back. [Late 1300s]

out of turn

1. Not in the proper order or sequence, as in When her doubles partner began to serve out of turn, their opponents called the umpire. [Late 1800s] 2. In an inappropriate manner or at an inappropriate time, as in I may be out of turn telling you, but shorts are not permitted in the restaurant. [First half of 1900s] Also see SPEAK OUT OF TURN.

out of wedlock

Of parents not legally married, as in Over the centuries many royal children were born out of wedlock. The noun wedlock, for the state of being married, is rarely heard today except in this phrase, first recorded in 1675; its converse, in wedlock, dates from the 1300s and is even more rarely used.

hand. In addition to the idiom beginning with OUTSIDE, also see AT MOST (THE

OUTSIDE).

outside of

Except for, aside from, as in Outside of a little lipstick, she wore no makeup. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]

out to lunch

Not in touch with the real world, crazy; also, inattentive. For example, If he believes that story, he's really out to lunch, or Anne hasn't heard a word you said?

she's out to lunch. This expression transfers a temporary physical absence for the purpose of eating to a temporary or permanent mental absence. [Slang; mid-1900s]

out with it

Say it, as in Tell us what you really think?

out with it! Used as an imperative, this idiom uses out in the sense of "public."

over

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with OVER, also see ALL OVER (and entries

beginning with ALL OVER); BEND OVER BACKWARD; BIND OVER; BLOW OVER; BOIL OVER; BOWL OVER; CARRY OVER; CHECK ON (OVER); CHEW THE CUD (OVER); CLOUD OVER; COME OVER; CROSS OVER; CROW OVER; CRY OVER SPILT MILK; DO OVER; DRAW A VEIL OVER; DROP BY (OVER); FALL ALL OVER; FORK OVER; FUCK OVER; GET OVER; GET THE ADVANTAGE OF (OVER); GIVE OVER; GLOSS OVER; GO OVER; HAND OVER; HAND OVER FIST; HANG OVER; HASH OVER; HAVE A HOLD OVER; HAVE IT (ALL OVER SOMEONE); HEAD OVER HEELS; HOLD OVER; HONEYMOON IS OVER; IN DEEP WATER (OVER ONE'S HEAD); IT'S ALL OVER WITH; JUMP ALL OVER; KEEL OVER; KEEP WATCH (OVER); KICK OVER THE TRACES; KNOCK FOR A LOOP (OVER WITH A FEATHER); KNOCK OVER; LAY OVER; LOOK LIKE DEATH (WARMED OVER); LOOK OVER; LORD IT OVER; LOSE SLEEP OVER; MAKE OVER; MIND OVER MATTER; MULL OVER; ONCE OVER LIGHTLY; PAPER OVER; PARTY'S OVER; PASS OVER; PICK OVER; PULL OVER; PULL THE WOOL OVER SOMEONE'S EYES; PUT OVER; RAKE OVER THE COALS; RIDE ROUGHSHOD OVER; ROLL OVER; ROOF OVER ONE'S HEAD; RUN ONE'S EYES OVER; RUN OVER; SCOOT OVER; SIGN OVER; SLEEP OVER; SMOOTH OVER; STAND OVER; START OVER; STOP OFF (OVER); TAKE OVER; TALK OVER; THINK OVER; THROW OVER; TIDE OVER; TILL HELL FREEZES OVER; TURN IN (OVER) ONE'S GRAVE; TURN OVER; TURN OVER A NEW LEAF; WALK ALL OVER; WATCH OVER; WATER OVER THE DAM; WIN OVER; WORK OVER.

over a barrel

In a weak or difficult position, as in Once the competitors found a flaw in our product, they had us over a barrel. This slangy expression, first recorded in 1938, supposedly alludes to reviving a drowning victim by placing the body head down over a barrel and rolling it back and forth, so as to empty the lungs of water. The expression survives, although happily the practice does not.

over again

Once more, as in The conductor had them start the symphony over again. [Mid-1500s]

over against

As opposed to, contrasted with, as in Over against the Smiths, the Johnsons were well off. [c. 1500]

over and above

In addition to, besides, as in Over and above travel expenses he was given a daily allowance.

[Early 1500s]

over and done with

Completed, finished, as in That argument's over and done with, so drop the subject. This usage is somewhat redundant but more emphatic than OVER WITH. [First half of the 1900s]

over and over Also, over and over again. Repeatedly, many times, as in I've told you over and over that he can't eat spicy food. [Late 1500s] Also see AGAIN AND AGAIN.

overboard

hand. see GO OVERBOARD.

over my dead body

In no way, under no circumstances, as in Over my dead body will you drop out of high school. This hyperbolic expression is often used jokingly. [Early 1800s]

over one's head

1.To a position higher than another's, as in She was furious when her assistant was promoted over her head. Similarly, go over someone's head means "appeal to a higher authority," as in

Since she couldn't help me, I decided to go over her head and talk to her supervisor. [Mid-1500s]

2.Beyond one's understanding or competence, as in The math required to complete these figures is way over my head. [Early 1600s] For a synonym, see OUT OF ONE'S DEPTH. Also see IN

DEEP (OVER ONE'S HEAD).

over the edge

Insane, as in I think he's gone over the edge. This expression alludes to the edge of sanity. [1920s]

over the hill

Past one's prime, as in I'm a little over the hill to be playing contact sports. This term, alluding to a climber who has reached a mountaintop and is now descending, has been used figuratively for the decline caused by aging since the mid-1900s.

over the hump

Past the most difficult part, as in She's over the hump with her dissertation; she'll soon be done.

This expression alludes to a barrier that impedes progress. [Colloquial; 1920s]

over the top

1. Surpassing a goal or quota, as in The new salesmen are excellent; they were over the top within the first six months. [Mid-1900s] 2. Over the parapet of a military trench, as in The lieutenant sent fresh troops over the top. This usage dates from World War I. 3. Extreme, outrageous, as in This comedian's style goes over the top. [Slang; late 1900s]

over with

Done, finished, as in I'll be glad when exams are over with. [Colloquial; second half of 1900s] Also

see OVER AND DONE WITH.

owl

hand. see NIGHT OWL.

own

hand. In addition to the idioms beginning with OWN, also see AFRAID OF ONE'S OWN

SHADOW; AFTER ONE'S OWN HEART; BEAT SOMEONE AT HIS OR HER OWN GAME; BLOW ONE'S OWN HORN; CALL ONE'S OWN; CLOSE TO HOME; COME INTO (ONE'S OWN); DIG ONE'S OWN GRAVE; DO ONE'S (OWN) THING; DOSE OF ONE'S OWN MEDICINE; GET (ONE'S OWN) BACK; GET ONE'S (OWN) WAY; GO ONE'S (OWN) WAY; HOLD ONE'S OWN; IN ONE'S (OWN) INTEREST; IN ONE'S OWN BACKYARD; IN ONE'S OWN RIGHT; IN ONE'S OWN WORLD; KEEP ONE'S OWN COUNSEL; KNOW ONE'S OWN MIND; LEAVE TO SOMEONE'S OWN DEVICES; MIND OF ONE'S OWN; MIND ONE'S OWN BUSINESS; OF ONE'S OWN ACCORD; ON ONE'S (OWN) FEET; ON ONE'S OWN; ON ONE'S OWN ACCOUNT; ON ONE'S OWN TIME; PADDLE ONE'S OWN CANOE; PAY BACK IN ONE'S OWN COIN; PAY ONE'S (OWN) WAY; PICK ON (SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE); PULL ONE'S (OWN) WEIGHT; SIGN ONE'S OWN DEATH WARRANT; STEW IN ONE'S OWN JUICE; TAKE INTO ONE'S (OWN) HANDS; UNDER ONE'S OWN STEAM; WRITE ONE'S OWN TICKET.

own person, be one's Also, be one's own man or woman. Be independent, be responsible for oneself. For example, We can't tell Jerry what to do?