Out

subs. (old).—1.  A dram-glass: they are made ‘two-out’ (= half-quartern), ‘three-out,’ and ‘four-out.’ When a man wants to ‘treat’ a couple of friends he asks for ‘a quartern of gin and three-out,’ meaning, a quartern of gin and three glasses, which together will exactly hold that quantity.

  1836.  DICKENS, Sketches by Boz, 40. Having imbibed the contents of various ‘three-outs’ of gin and bitters in the course of the morning.

  2.  (colloquial).—One out of employment or office; specifically (in politics) a member of the party in ‘opposition.’ Cf. IN.

  1768.  GOLDSMITH, The Good-Natured Man, v. Was it for this I have been dreaded both by ins and OUTS? Have I been libelled in the Gazetteer, and promised in the St. James’s?

  1770.  CHATTERTON, The Prophecy, xiii.

  1842.  DICKENS, American Notes, ii. The in’s rubbed their hands; the OUT’S shook their heads; the Government party said there never was such a good speech; the opposition declared there never was such a bad one.

  1857.  G. A. LAWRENCE, Guy Livingstone (5th ed.), 216. If he had backed the in instead of the OUT.

  1884.  Pall Mall Gazette, 7 July. The pledges which the ins have to contend with in their strife with the OUTS.

  1888.  Boston Daily Globe. It is the civil service that turns out all the ins and puts in the OUTS.

  1890.  C. L. NORTON, Political Americanisms, s.v. Ins and OUTS.

  3.  (colloquial).—Leave to go out; an OUTING (q.v.); a holiday.

  1847.  HALLIWELL, A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, etc., s.v.

  1852.  DICKENS, Bleak House, vii. Us London lawyers don’t often get an OUT.

  1855.  GASKELL, North and South, xiii. When I have gone for an OUT, I’ve always wanted to go high up and see far away, and take a deep breath o’ fulness in that air.

  1862–5.  C. W. SHIRLEY BROOKS, The Naggletons (1875), p. 202. Mr. N. We have had three pleasant days, Maria, and I think you need not have finished the OUT with a row.

  4.  (American).—A discarded mistress.—MATSELL (1859).

  Verb. (thieves’).—1.  To kill. Whence OUTING-DUES.

  1898.  BINSTEAD, A Pink ’Un and a Pelican, 277. It was a dire calamity for a Cohen to handle the dead. “He is OUT,” gasped the Jew.

  1900.  G. R. SIMS, In London’s Heart, 294. He glanced contemptuously at the prostrate form of his accomplice. “Looks like I’ve OUTED him,” he said. “Good job if I have—he’ll never blab again.” Ibid., 123. “I’m hanged if I haven’t done for him. It’s OUTING DUES this time if we’re copped.” “Dead!” exclaimed Joe.

  2.  (pugilists’).—To knock out an opponent so that he fails to respond at the call of time.

  1898.  BINSTEAD, A Pink ’Un and a Pelican, 86. ‘Gently, my lad, gently … yer don’t want to knock ’im out yet; give us a little show o’ yer quality afore you ‘OUT’S’ ’im!’

  Adv. (old).—1.  Tipsy: see DRINKS and SCREWED.

  2.  (colloquial).—General (society) = just presented; (cricketers’) = sent from the wickets; (politicians’) = not in office; (thieves’) = released from gaol; (market-men’s = not on sale; (popular) = (1) having a tendency to lose, (2) wrong, inaccurate, and (3) unfashionable.

  1660.  PEPYS, Diary, 7 Oct. Calling at my father’s to change my long black cloake for a short one (long cloakes being now quite OUT).

  1877.  Belgravia, Aug., 189. This young lady is only just ‘OUT.’ She lacks the ease, the imperturbability, the savoir-vivre of her elder sister.

  1877.  W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, iii. 223. Oh, that’s one of the cleverest gentlemen cracksmen OUT.

  1885.  DICKENS, Little Dorrit, I. xvi. 123. They were all so easy and cheerful together (Daniel Doyce either sitting OUT like an amused spectator at cards, or coming in with some shrewd little experiences of his own, when it happened to be to the purpose).

  TO LIVE OUT, verb. phr. (American).—To be in domestic service: i.e., as living from home.

  c. 1860.  New York Tribune [BARTLETT]. She came to this city and LIVED OUT as a cook.

  1855.  MARION HARLAND, The Hidden Path, 78. She has never LIVED OUT before.

  OUT OF IT (THE HUNT, or THE RUNNING), adj. phr. (colloquial).—1.  Debarred from participation; having no chance or share; completely ignorant.

  1889.  Echo, 9 Feb. For example—respecting ‘the reversion’ to the Laureateship—we were informed a day or two back that Mr. Browning was OUT OF THE RUNNING.

  TO STAND OUT, verb. phr. (common).—To take no part.

  OUT OF TWIG, adj. phr. (old).—1.  See quot.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, ii. 194. To put any article OUT OF TWIG, as a stolen coat, cloak, &c., is to alter it in such a way that it cannot be identified. Ibid. To put yourself OUT OF TWIG, is to disguise your dress and appearance, to avoid being recognised, on some particular account.

  2.  (old).—See quot.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, ii. 194. A man reduced by poverty to wear a shabby dress is said by his acquaintances to be OUT OF TWIG.

  TO PLAY AT IN AND OUT. See IN AND IN and IN AND OUT.

  OUT OF GOD’S BLESSING INTO THE WARM SUN, phr. (old).—From better to worse.

  1581.  J. LYLY, Euphues, Z. 3, b. Therefore if thou wilt follow my advice, and prosecut thine owne determination, THOU SHALT COME OUT OF A WARME SUNNE INTO GOD’S BLESSING.

  1605.  SHAKESPEARE, King Lear, ii. 2.

  1608.  HARINGTON, Nugæ Antiquæ, Of Carlyle [PARK, ed., ii. 273]. Marks being removed from Carlisle to Samos in Greece, viz. OUT OF GODS BLESSING INTO A WARME SUNNE, as the saying is.

  1615.  HARINGTON, Epigrams, ii. 56.

  1660.  HOWELL, English Proverbs, 5, s.v.

  1760.  RAY, Proverbs, s.v.

  OUT FOR AN AIRING, phr. (racing).—Said of a horse not meant to win.

  1889.  The Sporting Times, 29 June. But while Isabel, in racing slang, was fairly ‘on the job,’ Her friend was only OUT FOR AN AIRING.

  1889.  Standard, 25 June. Trainers and jockeys, from various trivial circumstances, very easily gathered whether a particular horse was only OUT FOR AN AIRING, or whether it was on the job.

  [Other colloquial combinations are TO BE AT OUTS = to quarrel; TO MAKE NO OUTS (of a person) = to misunderstand; OUT OF COUNTENANCE = confounded; OUT OF HAND = (1) immediately, without delay, (2) ungovernable; OUT OF CRY = out of measure; OUT OF FRAME = out of order; OUT OF HEART = worn out (of land), down hearted (of persons); OUT (or DOWN) AT HEEL (or AT ELBOWS) = shabbily dressed; OUT AT LEG = feeding in hired pastures (of cattle); OUT-OF-POCKET = a loser: OUT OF TEMPER = too hot, or too cold; OUT OF PRINT = see quot.; OUT OF THE WAY = uncommon, etc., etc. Also see BARREL; COLLAR; FUNDS; HARNESS; HAVE; KELTER; LOOSE; LUG; PICAROON; POCKET; PUFF; REGISTER; SORTS; WOOD.

  1562.  LATIMER, 27 Sermons, 30. The kings maiesty when he commeth to age: wil se a redresse of these things so OUT OF FRAME.

  1605.  SHAKESPEARE, King Lear, ii. 2. A good man’s fortune may grow OUT AT HEELS.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. OUT AT HEELS.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. OUT AT HEELS.

  1811.  GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, ii. 194. OUT OF THE WAY, a thief who knows that he is sought after by the traps on some information, and consequently goes out of town, or otherwise conceals himself, is said by his pals to be OUT OF THE WAY FOR SO AND SO, naming the particular offence he stands charged with. [See WANTED.]

  1823.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue [EGAN]. OUT OF PRINT. Slang made use of by booksellers. In speaking of any person that is dead, they observe, HE IS OUT OF PRINT.

  1851–6.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, iii. 122. He was a little DOWN AT HEEL.