[opposite sex] <n. phr.> The sex different from the one being discussed or mentioned. * /Fred came out and said he was gay, having never had any interest in the opposite sex./
[optional origin] <n.> Stipulation in international commodities contract whereby the seller may ship from either his foreign or his domestic resources. * /Be sure to enter that in the books as an optional origin order./
[orbit] See: GO INTO ORBIT.
[order] See: APPLE-PIE-ORDER, CALL TO ORDER, IN ORDER, IN ORDER TO, IN SHORT ORDER, JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED, MADE TO ORDER, OUT OF ORDER, PUT ONE'S HOUSE IN ORDER or SET ONE'S HOUSE IN ORDER, SHORT ORDER COOK, TO ORDER, WALKING PAPERS or WALKING ORDERS.
[order about] or [around] <v. phr.> To dictate arrogantly to someone; domineer. * /Dan orders his younger colleagues around in a most unpleasant way./
[ordinary] See: OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
[or other] <adv.> - Used to emphasize indefinite words or phrases beginning with "some" (as "someone", "something", "somewhere", "somehow", "sometime"). * /Somehow or other, Linda managed to get to the show on time./ * /I'll think of something or other for the program./ * /She found a beautiful cup and saucer somewhere or other./ * /I'll get around to cleaning the closets sometime or other./ * /Someone or other will take the letters to the post office./
[or so] <adv.> About; or a little more. * /Mr. Brown will be back in a day or so./ * /The book cost $5 or so./ * /There will be twenty or so people at the party./ Compare: MORE OR LESS.
[other] See: EACH OTHER, EVERY OTHER, GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE or GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HILL, GO IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER, LAUGH ON THE WRONG SIDE OF ONE'S MOUTH or LAUGH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ONE'S MOUTH, ON THE OTHER HAND, OR OTHER, SHOE ON THE OTHER FOOT, SIX OF ONE AND HALF-A-DOZEN OF THE OTHER, THIS AND THAT also THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER, TURN THE OTHER CHEEK.
[other fish to fry] <n. phr.>, <informal> Other things to do; other plans. * /They wanted John to be the secretary, but he had other fish to fry./ * /Mary was invited to the party but she refused because she had other fish to fry./
[other side of the tracks] See: WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS.
[out and about] See: UP AND ABOUT.
[out-and-out] <adj.> Extreme; complete; thorough. * /The candidate was an out-and-out conservative./ * /It was out-and-out robbery to charge twice the usual price for eggs just because they were scarce./ Compare: THROUGH AND THROUGH.
[out at the elbows] <adj. phr.> Poorly or shabbily dressed. * /Roy walks around out at the elbows, but it's not because he is penniless, but more in imitation of a certain style./
[out back] <adv. phr.> In one's backyard. * /On the Fourth of July they were out back making preparations for their holiday barbecue./
[outback] <n.> 1. The remote and uncultivated wilderness areas of Australia or New Zealand, with very few inhabitants. * /Mike and Barbara roughed it in the Australian outback for nearly two years./ 2. Any remote, sparsely populated region. * /Tom's old ranch in Texas is next to an arid outback./
[out cold] <adv.> or <adj.>, <informal> Unconscious; in a faint. * /The ball hit Dick in the head and knocked him out cold for ten minutes./ * /They tried to lift Mary when she fell down, but she was out cold./ Syn.: OUT LIKE A LIGHT(2). Compare: PASS OUT.
[outer space] <n.> What is outside of the earth's air. * /An astronaut cannot live without oxygen when he goes into outer space./
[out for] <prep.> Joining, or planning to join; taking part in; competing for a place in. * /John is out for the basketball team./ * /Mary is going out for the school newspaper./ Compare: TRY OUT.
[out from under] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Free from something that worries you; seeing the end; finished. - Usually used with "be" or "get". * /Mary had so much to do in the new house she felt as though she would never be out from under./ * /John had so many debts, he couldn't get out from under./
[out in force] <adv. phr.> Present in very large numbers; en masse. * /On the Fourth of July the police cars are out in force in the Chicago area./
[out in left field] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Far from the right answer; wrong; astray. * /Johnny tried to answer the teacher's question but he was way out in left field./ * /Susan tried to guess what the surprise was but she was way out in left field./ 2. Speaking or acting very queerly; crazy. * /The girl next door was always queer, but after her father died, she was really out in left field and had to go to a hospital./ Compare: OUT OF ONE'S HEAD.
[out in the cold] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Alone; not included. * /All the other children were chosen for parts in the play, but Johnny was left out in the cold./ * /Everybody made plans for Christmas Day and Mary found herself out in the cold./ Compare: HIGH AND DRY.
[out in the open] See: COME OUT IN THE OPEN.
[out like a light] <adj. phr.>, <informal> 1. Fast asleep; to sleep very quickly. * /Tom got so much fresh air and exercise that he went out like a light as soon as he lay down./ * /As soon as the lights were turned off, Johnny was out like a light./ 2. In a faint; unconscious. * /Johnny was hit by a ball and went out like a light./ * /After she read that Tom had married another girl Jean was out like a light for several minutes./ Compare: OUT COLD.
[out loud] <adv. phr.> In an ordinary speaking voice and not whispering or talking quietly; so everybody can hear; aloud. * /The teacher read the final grades out loud./ * /Mary spoke out loud so the people standing nearby would hear./ * /Sometimes I find it helpful to think out loud./
[out of] <prep.> 1a. From the inside to the outside of. * /John took the apple out of the bag./ * /Get out of the car!/ * /The teacher has gone out of town./ 1b. In a place away from. * /No, you can't see Mr. Jones; he is out of the office today./ * /Our house is ten miles out of town./ 2. From a particular condition or situation; not in; from; in a way changed from being in. * /The drugstore is going out of business./ * /The sick man is out of danger at last./ * /Bob is never out of trouble./ 3. Beyond the range of. * /The plane is out of sight now./ * /If you can't swim, don't go out of your depth./ 4. From (a source). * /Mother asked Billy who started the fight, but she couldn't get anything out of him./ * /The teacher gave a test to see what the students got out of the lesson./ * /Mr. Jones made a fortune out of cotton./ 5. Because of; as a result of. * /Mary scolded Joan out of jealousy./ * /The cat ran away out of fear of the dog./ 6. Without; not having. * /The store is out of coffee./ * /John's father is out of work./ 7. From (a material). * /The house is built out of stone./ * /His suit is made out of cotton and is cool./ 8. From among. * /The man picked Joe out of the crowd./ * /Our team won eight out of ten games last season./
[out of a bandbox] See: LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX.
[out of account] See: LEAVE OUT OF ACCOUNT.
[out of a clear sky] or [out of a clear blue sky] See: OUT OF THE BLUE.
[out of action] <adv. phr.> Useless; crippled; damaged so as to be quiescent. * /American bombers put Nazi heavy industry out of action during World War II./ * /When I broke my leg I was out of action for the entire football season./
[out of all proportion] <adv. phr.> Disproportionate; lopsided. * /The news coverage of the sensational celebrity double murder has grown out of all proportion, obscuring the international news./
[out of bounds] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Outside of the boundary lines in a game; not on or inside the playing field. * /Bill thought he had scored a touchdown, but he had stepped out of bounds before he reached the goal line./ 2. Outside of a circumscribed area for a certain kind of work, such as construction or military site. * /The principal told the students that the new gymnasium being built on the school grounds was out of bounds./ * /The captain's cabin is out of bounds to the passengers on the ship./ Contrast: WITHIN BOUNDS. 3. Outside of safe or proper limits; not doing what is proper; breaking the rules of good behavior. * /John was out of bounds when he called Tom a liar in the meeting./ * /His request for a 25% salary raise was totally out of bounds./
[out of breath] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> Not breathing easily or regularly; gasping; panting. * /The fat man was out of breath after climbing the stairs./ * /The mile run left Bill out of breath./
[out of character] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Not in agreement with a person's character or personality; not in the way that a person usually behaves or is expected to behave; not usual; unsuitable; uncharacteristic. * /Mary is a nice girl. Her fit of temper was out of character./ 2. Not in character; unsuitable for a part or character. * /It isn't always out of character for a young actor to play an old man, if he is a good actor./ Contrast: IN CHARACTER.
[out of circulation] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Not out in the company of friends, other people, and groups; not active; not joining in what others are doing. * /John has a job after school and is out of circulation with his friends./ Contrast: IN CIRCULATION.
[out of commission] <adj. phr.> 1. Retired from active military service; no longer on active duty. * /When the war was over, many warships were placed out of commission./ Contrast: IN COMMISSION(1). 2. Not in use or not working; so that it cannot work or be used. * /The strike put the airline out of commission for a week./ * /John will have to walk to the store. His bicycle is out of commission./ Compare: OUT OF ORDER. Contrast: IN COMMISSION(2).
[out of condition] See: OUT OF SHAPE or OUT OF CONDITION.
[out of date] <adj. phr.> Old fashioned; superseded; no longer valid; too old to be used. * /Father's suit is out of date; he needs a new one./ * /The news magazines in the doctor's office were all out of date./
[out of fashion] <adj. phr.> Having passed from vogue; out of the current mode. * /The miniskirt is now out of fashion in most quarters, but it may very well come back some day./
[out of gas] <adv. phr.> 1. Out of fuel (said of automobiles). * /Be sure you don't run out of gas when you go on a long distance trip by car./ 2. Rundown; depleted of energy; in poor physical condition. * /Mary said she had to take a break from her job as she was running totally out of gas./
[out of gear] See: THROW OUT OF GEAR.
[out of hand] <adv. phr.> 1. Out of control. * /Bobby's birthday party got out of hand and the children were naughty./ * /Small puppies often get out of hand./ 2. Suddenly, quickly without examination of possible truth or merit; without any consideration. - Often used after "dismiss" or "reject". * /The senator rejected out of hand the critics' call for his resignation./ Compare: OUT OF LINE. Contrast: IN HAND.
[out of hot water] See: HOT WATER.
[out of keeping] <adj. phr.> Not going well together; not agreeing; not proper. * /Loud talk was out of keeping in the library./ * /It was out of keeping for the kind man to kick the dog./ Contrast: IN KEEPING.
[out of kilter] <adj. phr.>, <informal> 1. Not balanced right; not in a straight line or lined up right. * /The scale must be out of kilter because when I weighed myself on it, it said 300 pounds./ * /The wheels of my bicycle were out of kilter after it hit the tree./ Contrast: IN BALANCE. 2. Needing repair; not working right. * /My watch runs too slowly; it must be out of kilter./ Syn.: OUT OF ORDER(2).
[out of line(1)] <adv. phr.> Not in a straight line; away from a true line. * /The two edges were out of line and there was a space between them./ * /The sergeant ordered the soldier who was out of line to get properly lined up./
[out of line(2)] <adj. phr.> Not obeying or agreeing with what is right or usual; doing or being what people do not expect or accept; outside ordinary or proper limits; not usual, right, or proper. * /Little Mary got out of line and was rude to Aunt Elizabeth./ * /The teacher asked Charlie not to tell one of the jokes because it was out of line./ * /Mrs. Green thought the repair man's charge was out of line./ Compare: OUT OF HAND, OUT OF ORDER. Contrast: IN LINE(2).
[out of line with] <prep.> Not in agreement with. * /The price of the bicycle was out of line with what Bill could afford./