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In a world where you can pay, act, or simply be out-of-pocket

Listen to the conversation.

Sometimes we like to ask people what a particular word or phrase means to them. Sometimes when we do that, we get several completely different answers.

Take “out-of-pocket,” for example.

When two of our Michigan Radio colleagues asked us about this phrase, they said they use it to talk about being unavailable. For example, someone might say, “I’ll be out of pocket this morning, but I’ll be back in the office this afternoon”.

But we’ve always thought about “out-of-pocket” in terms of money such as out-of-pocket expenses – that is, expenses you have to cover yourself. Another person told us that they use it to talk about someone’s bad behavior, e.g. “He was acting out-of-pocket.”

So how did we get here?

The first use of “out-of-pocket” is related to money. This is actually the oldest meaning and goes back to the 17th century. In this case, to be “out-of-pocket” meant that you were broke. Around this time we see expressions like “He was 700 pounds out of pocket” and “I’m a little out-of-pocket at present.”

On the flip-side, to be “in-pocket” meant to have money.

“Out-of-pocket” as a way to talk about being unavailable shows up around the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, we’re not entirely sure where this meaning comes from.

Some have speculatedthat it may be related to the expression of being in a person’s pocket – if you’re in someone’s pocket, that means you're under their control. On the other hand, if you’re not in someone’s pocket, you’re not able to be controlled – that is, you’re unavailable.

From what we can tell, the third meaning of “out-of-pocket” -- to be out-of-line or act in an unacceptable way – comes from African-American usage. Jonathon Green includes it in Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang in 1998. He speculates that it comes from pool jargon, where an out-of-pocket shot requires someone to miss a turn, thus creating a bad situation.

Do you use “out-of-pocket” in a different way?_

Copyright 2019 Michigan Radio

Rebecca Kruth is a reporter interning with Aspen Public Radio over the summer of 2013. Originally from Eaton Rapids, Michigan, Rebecca is thrilled to be spending her summer making radio in the mountains. Though she's always been a public radio fan, Rebecca explored several other career paths including teaching high school English before making her way to the airwaves. During her graduate studies at Michigan State University, Rebecca decided radio was where she needed to be and squeezed some journalism courses into her American Studies degree program. After graduation, she snagged internships on the news desk at WKAR, East Lansing and the arts and culture desk at WBEZ, Chicago. When she's not chasing stories, Rebecca enjoys cycling, photography, listening to This American Life and wandering around the country with her husband, James.
Rebecca Kruth
Rebecca Kruth is the host of Weekend Edition and a reporter at Michigan Radio. She first came to the station in 2014 as a Morning Edition intern. After earning degrees in English and American Studies from Michigan State University, Rebecca began her radio career as a newsroom intern at WKAR in East Lansing. She completed additional news internships at WBEZ Chicago and KAJX Aspen. When she’s not on the airwaves, Rebecca enjoys hiking, Korean food and wandering the country with her husband James. She's also Bruce Springsteen's number one fan.
Anne Curzan is the Geneva Smitherman Collegiate Professor of English and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at the University of Michigan. She also holds faculty appointments in the Department of Linguistics and the School of Education.