order

the order of the day something necessary

or usual; an overriding necessity.

Warm clothes are the order of the day

when camping in the winter. Going to

bed early was the order of the day when we

were young.

order someone about and order someone

around to give commands to someone.

I don’t like for someone to order me

about. Don’t order me around!

order someone around Go to order someone

about.

order something to go Go to buy something to

go.

the other side of the tracks the poorer

section of town or the richer section of

town, depending on perspective. (Also

literal. Usually refers to the wrong side

of the tracks.) He is from a wealthy

family and I am from a very humble back-

ground, but he is the first boy I have met

from the other side of the tracks, and I

want to marry him. I hear he is dating

someone from the other side of the tracks.

other things being equal if things stay the

way they are now; if there were no com-

plications by other factors. Other things

being equal, we should have no trouble get-

ting your order to you on time. I antic-

ipate no problems, other things being

equal.

the other way round the reverse; the op-

posite. No, it won’t fit that way. Try it

the other way round. It doesn’t make

any sense like that. It belongs the other way

round.

An ounce of prevention is worth a

pound of cure. It is easier and better to

prevent something bad than to deal with

the results. When you ride in a car,

buckle your seat belt. An ounce of preven-

tion is worth a pound of cure. Every

child should be vaccinated against polio.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound

of cure.

out and about able to go out and travel

around. Beth has been ill, but now she’s

out and about. As soon as I feel better,

I’ll be able to get out and about.

out cold and out like a light unconscious.

I fell and hit my head. I was out cold

for about a minute. Tom fainted! He’s

out like a light!

out from under (something) free and clear

of something; no longer bearing a (figu-

rative) burden. I’ll feel much better

when I’m out from under this project.

Now that I’m out from under, I can relax.

out front in the front of one’s house.

mailbox is out front. We have a spruce

tree out front and a maple tree in the back.

out in force appearing in great numbers.

(See also in force.) What a night! The

mosquitoes are out in force. The police

were out in force over the holiday weekend.

out in left field offbeat; unusual and ec-

centric. (Literal in reference to a base-

ball field. Informal. See also come out of

left field.) Sally is a lot of fun, but she’s

sort of out in left field. What a strange

idea. It’s really out in left field.

out like a light Go to out cold.

out of a clear blue sky and out of the

blue suddenly; without warning. (See

also like a bolt out of the blue.) Then,

out of a clear blue sky, he told me he was

leaving. Mary appeared on my doorstep

out of the blue.

out of (all) proportion of an exaggerated

proportion; of an unrealistic proportion

compared to something else; (figura-

tively) lopsided. This problem has

grown out of all proportion. Yes, this

thing is way out of proportion.

out of bounds 1. outside the boundaries

of the playing area. (In various sports.)

The ball went out of bounds, but the ref-

eree didn’t notice. The play ended when

Sally ran out of bounds. 2. unreasonable.

(Informal.) Your demands are totally

out of bounds. Your request for money

is out of bounds. 3. Go to off limits.

out of character 1. unlike one’s usual be-

havior. Ann’s remark was quite out of

character. It was out of character for

Ann to act so stubborn. 2. inappropriate

for the character that an actor is playing.

Bill went out of character when the au-

dience started giggling. Bill played the

part so well that it was hard for him to get

out of character after the performance.

out of circulation 1. no longer available

for use or lending. (Usually said of library

materials.) I’m sorry, but the book you

want is temporarily out of circulation.

How long will it be out of circulation? 2.

not interacting socially with other peo-

ple. (Informal.) I don’t know what’s

happening because I’ve been out of circu-

lation for a while. My cold has kept me

out of circulation for a few weeks.

out of commission 1. [for a ship] to be

not currently in use or under command.

This vessel will remain out of commis-

sion for another month. The ship has

been out of commission since repairs be-

gan. 2. broken, unserviceable, or inop-

erable. My watch is out of commission

and is running slow. I can’t run in the

marathon because my knees are out of

commission.

out of condition Go to out of shape.

out of consideration (for someone or some-

thing) with consideration for someone or

something; with kind regard for someone

or something. Out of consideration for

your past efforts, I will do what you ask.

They let me do it out of consideration. It

was very thoughtful of them.

out of control and out of hand uncon-

trollable; wild and unruly. The party

got out of control about midnight, and the

neighbors called the police. We tried to

keep things from getting out of hand.

out of courtesy (to someone) in order to

be polite to someone; out of consideration

for someone. We invited Mary’s brother

out of courtesy to her. They invited me

out of courtesy.

out-of-date old-fashioned; out of style; ob-

solete. (See also go out of style.) Isn’t

that suit sort of out-of-date?  All my

clothes are out-of-date.

out of earshot too far from the source of

a sound to hear the sound. I was out

of earshot and could not hear the conver-

sation. Mary waited until her children

were out of earshot before mentioning the

party to Bill.

out of fashion Go to out of style.

out of favor (with someone) no longer de-

sirable or preferred by someone. I can’t

ask John to help. I’m out of favor with him.

That kind of thing has been out of fa-

vor for years.

out of gas 1. having no gasoline (in a car,

truck, etc.). We can’t go any farther.

We’re out of gas. This car will be com-

pletely out of gas in a few more miles. 2.

tired; exhausted; worn out. (Informal.)

What a day! I’ve been working since morn-

ing, and I’m really out of gas. This elec-

tric clock is out of gas. I’ll have to get a new

out of hand 1. Go to out of control. 2. im-

mediately and without consulting any-

one; without delay. I can’t answer that

out of hand. I’ll check with the manager

and call you back. The offer was so good

that I accepted it out of hand.

out of it Go to out to lunch.

out of keeping (with something) not fol-

lowing the rules of something; out of ac-

cord with something. (Compare this

with in keeping (with something).) The

length of this report is out of keeping with

your request. I didn’t even read it be-

cause it was so much out of keeping.

out of kilter 1. out of balance; crooked or

tilted. (Slang.) John, your tie is sort of

out of kilter. Let me fix it.  Please

straighten the picture on the wall. It’s out

of kilter. 2. malfunctioning; on the fritz.

(Slang.) My furnace is out of kilter. I

have to call someone to fix it. This com-

puter is out of kilter. It doesn’t work.

out of line 1. Go to out of line (with some-

thing). 2. improper. I’m afraid that your

behavior was quite out of line. I do not

wish to speak further about this matter.

Bill, that remark was out of line. Please be

more respectful.

out of line (with something) 1. not prop-

erly lined up in a line of things. I told

you not to get out of line. Now, get back

in line. One of those books on the shelf

is out of line with the others. Please fix it.

2. unreasonable when compared to

something (else). The cost of this meal

is out of line with what other restaurants

charge. Your request is out of line.

out of luck without good luck; having bad

fortune. (Informal.) If you wanted

some ice cream, you’re out of luck. I was

out of luck. I got there too late to get a seat.

out of necessity because of necessity; due

to need. I bought this hat out of neces-

sity. I needed one, and this was all there

was. We sold our car out of necessity.

out of one’s element not in a natural or

comfortable situation. (Compare this

with in one’s element.) When it comes

to computers, I’m out of my element.

Sally’s out of her element in math.

out of one’s head Go to out of one’s mind.

out of one’s mind and out of one’s head;

out of one’s senses silly and senseless;

crazy; irrational. Why did you do that?

You must be out of your mind! Good

grief, Tom! You have to be out of your

head! She’s acting as if she were out of

her senses.

out of one’s senses Go to out of one’s mind.

out of order 1. not in the correct order.

This book is out of order. Please put it in

the right place on the shelf. You’re out

of order, John. Please get in line after Jane.

2. not following correct parliamentary

procedure. I was declared out of order

by the president. Ann inquired, “Isn’t a

motion to table the question out of order

at this time?” 3. not operating; broken.

The coffee machine is out of order. It takes

your money and gives you no coffee. We

will have to use the stairs. The elevator is

out of order.

out of place 1. not in a proper place.

The salt was out of place in the cupboard,

so I couldn’t find it. Billy, you’re out of

place. Please sit next to Tom. 2. improper

and impertinent; out of line. That kind

of behavior is out of place in church.

Your rude remark is quite out of place.

out of practice performing poorly due to

a lack of practice. I used to be able to

play the piano extremely well, but now I’m

out of practice. The baseball players lost

the game because they were out of practice.

out of print [for a book] to be no longer

available for sale from the publisher.

The book you want is out of print, but per-

haps I can find a used copy for you. It

was published nearly ten years ago, so it’s

probably out of print.

out of proportion Go to in proportion.

out of reach 1. not near enough to be

reached or touched. Place the cookies

out of reach, or Bob will eat them all.

The mouse ran behind the piano, out of

reach. The cat just sat and waited for it.

2. unattainable. I wanted to be presi-

dent, but I’m afraid that such a goal is out

of reach. I shall choose a goal that is not

out of reach.

out of season 1. not now available for sale.

(The opposite of in season. Compare this

with off season.) Sorry, oysters are out

of season. We don’t have any. Water-

melon is out of season in the winter. 2. not

now legally able to be hunted or caught.

Are salmon out of season? I caught a

trout out of season and had to pay a fine.

out of service inoperable; not now oper-

ating. Both elevators are out of service,

so I had to use the stairs. The washroom

is temporarily out of service.

out of shape and out of condition not in

the best physical condition. I get out

of breath when I run because I’m out of

Keep exercising regularly, or

you’ll get out of condition.

out of sight 1. not visible. (Especially with

get, keep, or stay.) The cat kept out of

sight until the mouse came out. “Get out

of sight, or they’ll see you!” called John. 2.

[for a price to be] very high. (Informal.)

I won’t pay this bill. It’s out of sight.

The estimate was out of sight, so I didn’t

accept it. 3. figuratively stunning, unbe-

lievable, or awesome. (Slang.) Wow,

this music is out of sight! What a wild

party—out of sight!

Out of sight, out of mind. If you do not

see something, you will not think about

it. (Proverb.) When I go home, I put my

schoolbooks away so I won’t worry about

doing my homework. After all, out of sight,

out of mind. Jane dented the fender on

her car. It’s on the right side, so she does-

n’t have to look at it. Like they say, out of

sight, out of mind.

out of sorts not feeling well; grumpy and

irritable. I’ve been out of sorts for a day

or two. I think I’m coming down with

something.  The baby is out of sorts.

Maybe she’s getting a tooth.

out of spite with the desire to harm some-

one or something. Jane told some evil

gossip about Bill out of spite. That was

not an accident! You did it out of spite.

out of step (with someone or something) 1.

and out of time (with someone or some-

thing) [marching or dancing] out of ca-

dence with someone else. You’re out of

step with the music. Pay attention, Ann.

You’re out of time. 2. not as up-to-date

as someone or something. John is out

of step with the times. Billy is out of step

with the rest of the class.

out of stock not immediately available in

a store; [for goods] to be temporarily un-

available. Those items are out of stock,

but a new supply will be delivered on

Thursday. I’m sorry, but the red ones are

out of stock. Would a blue one do?

out of style and out of fashion not fash-

ionable; old-fashioned; obsolete. John’s

clothes are really out of style. He does-

n’t care if his clothes are out of fashion.

out of the blue Go to out of a clear blue

out of the corner of one’s eye [seeing

something] at a glance; glimpsing (some-

thing). I saw someone do it out of the

corner of my eye. It might have been Jane

who did it. I only saw the accident out

of the corner of my eye. I don’t know who

is at fault.

out of the frying pan into the fire from

a bad situation to a worse situation. (Of-

ten with jump.) When I tried to argue

about my fine for a traffic violation, the

judge charged me with contempt of court.

I really went out of the frying pan into the

fire. I got deeply in debt. Then I really

got out of the frying pan into the fire when

I lost my job.

out of the hole out of debt. (Also literal.

Informal.) I get paid next week, and

then I can get out of the hole. I can’t

seem to get out of the hole. I keep spend-

ing more money than I earn.

out of the ordinary unusual. It was a

good meal, but not out of the ordinary.

Your report was nicely done, but nothing

out of the ordinary.

out of the question not possible; not per-

mitted. I’m sorry, but it’s out of the

question. You can’t go to Florida this

spring. We can’t afford it. It’s out of the

question.

out of the red out of debt. (Informal.)

This year our company is likely to get out

of the red before fall. If we can cut down

on expenses, we can get out of the red fairly

soon.

out of the running no longer being con-

sidered; eliminated from a contest.

(Compare this with in the running.)

After the first part of the diving meet, three

members of our team were out of the run-

ning. After the scandal was made pub-

lic, I was no longer in the running. I pulled

out of the election.

out-of-the-way not on the regular route;

following a different, more awkward,

route. They live on a quiet, out-of-the-

way street. I know an out-of-the-way

little restaurant on Maple Street.

out of thin air out of nowhere; out of

nothing. (Informal.) Suddenly—out of

thin air—the messenger appeared. You

just made that up out of thin air.

out of this world wonderful; extraordi-

nary. This pie is just out of this world.

Look at you! How lovely you look—sim-

ply out of this world.

out of time (with someone or something) Go

to out of step (with someone or something).

out of touch (with someone or something) 1.

[with someone] no longer talking to or

writing to someone; knowing no news of

someone. I’ve been out of touch with

my brother for many years. We’ve been

out of touch for quite some time. 2. [with

something] not keeping up with the de-

velopments of something. I’ve been out

of touch with automobile mechanics for

many years. I couldn’t go back into me-

chanics because I’ve been out of touch for

too long.

out of work unemployed, temporarily or

permanently. How long have you been

out of work? My brother has been out

of work for nearly a year.

out on a limb in a dangerous position; tak-

ing a chance. (Also literal.) I don’t want

to go out on a limb, but I think I’d agree

to your request. She really went out on

a limb when she agreed.

out on bail out of jail because bail bond

money has been paid. (The money will

be forfeited if the person who is out on

bail does not appear in court at the

proper time. See also jump bail.) Bob

is out on bail waiting for his trial. The

robber committed another crime while out

on bail.

out on parole out of jail but still under po-

lice supervision. Bob got out on parole

after serving only a few years of his sen-

tence. He was out on parole because of

good behavior.

out to lunch 1. eating lunch away from

one’s place of work or activity.

sorry, but Sally Jones is out to lunch. May

I take a message? She’s been out to lunch

for nearly two hours. When will she be

back? 2. and out of it not alert; giddy;

uninformed. (Slang.) Bill is really out

of it. Why can’t he pay attention? Don’t

be so out of it, John. Wake up! Ann is

really out to lunch these days.

out West in the western part of the United

States. (See also back East, down South,

up North.) We lived out West for nearly

ten years. Do they really ride horses out

West?

outgrow something 1. to get too big for

something. Tom outgrew all his clothes

in two months. The plant outgrew its

pot. 2. to become too mature for some-

thing. I outgrew my allergies. The

boys will outgrow their toys.

outguess someone to guess what someone

else might do; to predict what someone

might do. I can’t outguess Bill. I just

have to wait and see what happens.

Don’t try to outguess John. He’s too sharp

and tricky.

outside of something except for something;

besides something. (Also literal.) Out-

side of the cost of my laundry, I have prac-

tically no expenses. Outside of some new

shoes, I don’t need any new clothing.

outside the box 1. as if not bound by old,

nonfunctional, or limiting structures,

rules, or practices. (An adverb. Compare

this with inside the box.) You need to

move your discussions outside the box and

get away from silly limitations. Noth-

ing can be done outside the box in such a

rigid intellectual environment. 2. not

bound by old, nonfunctional, or limiting

structures, rules, or practices. (Usually

outside-the-box. An adjective.) You

have some really outside-the-box ideas,

Ralph. After some long, outside-the-box

discussions, we arrived at a creative

solution.