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90s Slang You Should Know

outing

[ou-ting] /ˈaʊ tɪŋ/
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noun
1.
a pleasure trip, excursion, picnic, or the like:
the annual outing for the senior class.
2.
a public appearance, as by a participant in an athletic contest or event:
The new player scored spectacularly in his second outing with the team.
3.
the intentional exposure of a secret homosexual, especially a prominent figure.
Origin of outing
Middle English
1325-1375
Middle English word dating back to 1325-75; See origin at out, -ing1
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
1. jaunt.

out

[out] /aʊt/
adverb
1.
away from, or not in, the normal or usual place, position, state, etc.:
out of alphabetical order; to go out to dinner.
2.
away from one's home, country, work, etc., as specified:
to go out of town.
3.
in or into the outdoors:
to go out for a walk.
4.
to a state of exhaustion, extinction, or depletion:
to pump a well out.
5.
to the end or conclusion; to a final decision or resolution:
to say it all out.
6.
to a point or state of extinction, nonexistence, etc.:
to blow out the candle; a practice on the way out.
7.
in or into a state of neglect, disuse, etc.; not in current vogue or fashion:
That style has gone out.
8.
so as not to be in the normal or proper position or state; out of joint:
His back went out after his fall.
9.
in or into public notice or knowledge:
The truth is out at last.
10.
seeking openly and energetically to do or have:
to be out for a good time.
11.
not in present possession or use, as on loan:
The librarian said that the book was still out.
12.
on strike:
The miners go out at midnight.
13.
so as to project or extend:
to stretch out; stick your tongue out.
14.
in or into activity, existence, or outward manifestation:
A rash came out on her arm.
15.
from a specified source or material:
made out of scraps.
16.
from a state of composure, satisfaction, or harmony:
to be put out over trifles.
17.
in or into a state of confusion, vexation, dispute, variance, or unfriendliness:
to fall out about trifles.
18.
so as to deprive or be deprived:
to be cheated out of one's money.
19.
so as to use the last part of:
to run out of gas.
20.
from a number, stock, or store:
to point out the errors.
21.
aloud or loudly:
to cry out.
22.
with completeness or effectiveness:
to fill out.
23.
thoroughly; completely; entirely:
The children tired me out.
24.
so as to obliterate or make undecipherable:
to cross out a misspelling; to ink out.
adjective
25.
not at one's home or place of employment; absent:
I stopped by to visit you last night, but you were out.
26.
not open to consideration; out of the question:
I wanted to go by plane, but all the flights are booked, so that's out.
27.
wanting; lacking; without:
We had some but now we're out.
28.
removed from or not in effective operation, play, a turn at bat, or the like, as in a game:
He's out for the season because of an injury.
29.
no longer having or holding a job, public office, etc.; unemployed; disengaged (usually followed by of):
to be out of work.
30.
inoperative; extinguished:
The elevator is out. Are the lights out?
31.
finished; ended:
before the week is out.
32.
not currently stylish, fashionable, or in vogue:
Fitted waistlines are out this season.
33.
unconscious; senseless:
Two drinks and he's usually out.
34.
not in power, authority, or the like:
a member of the out party.
35.
Baseball.
  1. (of a batter) not succeeding in getting on base:
    He was out at first on an attempted bunt.
  2. (of a base runner) not successful in an attempt to advance a base or bases:
    He was out in attempting to steal second base.
36.
beyond fixed or regular limits; out of bounds:
The ball was out.
37.
having a pecuniary loss or expense to an indicated extent:
The company will be out millions of dollars if the new factory doesn't open on schedule.
38.
incorrect or inaccurate:
His calculations are out.
39.
not in practice; unskillful from lack of practice:
Your bow hand is out.
40.
beyond the usual range, size, weight, etc. (often used in combination):
an outsize bed.
41.
exposed; made bare, as by holes in one's clothing:
out at the knees.
42.
at variance; at odds; unfriendly:
They are out with each other.
43.
moving or directed outward; outgoing:
the out train.
44.
not available, plentiful, etc.:
Mums are out till next fall.
45.
external; exterior; outer.
46.
located at a distance; outlying:
We sailed to six of the out islands.
47.
Cricket. not having its innings:
the out side.
48.
of or relating to the playing of the first nine holes of an 18-hole golf course (opposed to in):
His out score on the second round was 33.
preposition
49.
(used to indicate movement or direction from the inside to the outside of something):
He looked out the window. She ran out the door.
50.
(used to indicate location):
The car is parked out back.
51.
(used to indicate movement away from a central point):
Let's drive out the old parkway.
interjection
52.
begone! away!
53.
(used in radio communications to signify that the sender has finished the message and is not expecting or prepared to receive a reply.)
Compare over (def 52).
54.
Archaic. (an exclamation of abhorrence, indignation, reproach, or grief (usually followed by upon):
Out upon you!
noun
55.
a means of escape or excuse, as from a place, punishment, retribution, responsibility, etc.:
He always left himself an out.
56.
a person who lacks status, power, or authority, especially in relation to a particular group or situation.
57.
Usually, outs. persons not in office or political power (distinguished from in).
58.
Baseball. a put-out.
59.
(in tennis, squash, handball, etc.) a return or service that does not land within the in-bounds limits of a court or section of a court (opposed to in).
60.
something that is out, as a projecting corner.
61.
Printing.
  1. the omission of a word or words.
  2. the word or words omitted.
62.
Northern British Dialect. an outing.
verb (used without object)
63.
to go or come out.
64.
to become public, evident, known, etc.:
The truth will out.
65.
to make known; tell; utter (followed by with):
Out with the truth!
verb (used with object)
66.
to eject or expel; discharge; oust.
67.
to intentionally expose (a secret homosexual, a spy, etc.).
Idioms
68.
all out, with maximum effort; thoroughly or wholeheartedly:
They went all out to finish by Friday.
69.
be on the / at outs with, Informal. to be estranged from (another person); be unfriendly or on bad terms with:
He is on the outs with his brother.
70.
out and away, to a surpassing extent; far and away; by far:
It was out and away the best apple pie she had ever eaten.
71.
out for, aggressively determined to acquire, achieve, etc.:
He's out for all the money he can get.
72.
out from under, out of a difficult situation, especially of debts or other obligations:
The work piled up while I was away and I don't know how I'll ever get out from under.
73.
out of,
  1. not within:
    out of the house.
  2. beyond the reach of:
    The boat's passengers had sailed out of hearing.
  3. not in a condition of:
    out of danger.
  4. so as to deprive or be deprived of.
  5. from within or among:
    Take the jokers out of the pack.
  6. because of; owing to:
    out of loyalty.
  7. foaled by (a dam):
    Grey Dancer out of Lady Grey.
74.
out of it, Informal.
  1. not part of or acceptable within an activity, social group, or fashion:
    She felt out of it because none of her friends were at the party.
  2. not conscious; drunk or heavily drugged.
  3. not alert or clearheaded; confused; muddled.
  4. eliminated from contention:
    If our team loses two more games, we'll be out of it.
75.
out of sight. sight (def 25).
76.
out of trim, Nautical. (of a ship) drawing excessively at the bow or stern.
Origin
before 900; (adv.) Middle English; Old English ūt; cognate with Dutch uit, German aus, Old Norse, Gothic ūt; akin to Sanskrit ud-; (adj., interjection, and preposition) Middle English, from the adv.; (v.) Middle English outen, Old English ūtian to put out, cognate with Old Frisian ūtia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
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Examples from the Web for outing
Contemporary Examples
Historical Examples

  • The girls have great fun and solve a mystery while on an outing along the New England coast.

    The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle Laura Lee Hope

  • Sunday was one of the hardest days we had during our little fortnight's outing.

    A Yeoman's Letters P. T. Ross

  • I came here in the first place just to enjoy a pleasant summer's outing.

    The Gaunt Gray Wolf Dillon Wallace

  • The three boys talked over the subject of an outing for some time.

    The Young Oarsmen of Lakeview Ralph Bonehill

  • When she returned, for she did come back alone, there were allusions made to that outing.

    Chance Joseph Conrad
British Dictionary definitions for outing

outing

/ˈaʊtɪŋ/
noun
1.
a short outward and return journey; trip; excursion
2.
(informal) the naming by homosexuals of other prominent homosexuals, often against their will

out

/aʊt/
adverb
1.
(often used as a particle) at or to a point beyond the limits of some location; outside: get out at once
2.
(particle) out of consciousness: she passed out at the sight of blood
3.
(particle) used to indicate a burst of activity as indicated by the verb: fever broke out
4.
(particle) used to indicate obliteration of an object: the graffiti were painted out
5.
(particle) used to indicate an approximate drawing or description: sketch out, chalk out
6.
public; revealed: the secret is out
7.
(often used as a particle) away from one's custody or ownership, esp on hire: to let out a cottage
8.
on sale or on view to the public: the book is being brought out next May
9.
(of a young woman) in or into polite society: Lucinda had a fabulous party when she came out
10.
(of the sun, stars, etc) visible
11.
(of a jury) withdrawn to consider a verdict in private
12.
(particle) used to indicate exhaustion or extinction: the sugar's run out, put the light out
13.
(particle) used to indicate a goal or object achieved at the end of the action specified by the verb: he worked it out, let's fight it out, then!
14.
(preceded by a superlative) existing: the friendliest dog out
15.
an expression in signalling, radio, etc, to indicate the end of a transmission
16.
(Austral & NZ, archaic) in or to Australia or New Zealand: he came out last year
17.
out of
  1. at or to a point outside: out of his reach
  2. away from; not in: stepping out of line, out of focus
  3. because of, motivated by: doing it out of jealousy
  4. from (a material or source): made out of plastic
  5. not or no longer having any of (a substance, material, etc): we're out of sugar
adjective (postpositive)
18.
not or not any longer worth considering: that plan is out because of the weather
19.
not allowed: smoking on duty is out
20.
(also prenominal) not in vogue; unfashionable: that sort of dress is out these days
21.
(of a fire or light) no longer burning or providing illumination: the fire is out
22.
not working: the radio's out
23.
unconscious: he was out for two minutes
24.
(Austral & NZ, informal) out to it, asleep or unconscious, esp because drunk
25.
not in; not at home: call back later, they're out now
26.
desirous of or intent on (something or doing something): I'm out for as much money as I can get
27.
Also out on strike. on strike: the machine shop is out
28.
(in several games and sports) denoting the state in which a player is caused to discontinue active participation, esp in some specified role
29.
used up; exhausted: our supplies are completely out
30.
worn into holes: this sweater is out at the elbows
31.
inaccurate, deficient, or discrepant: out by six pence
32.
not in office or authority: his party will be out at the election
33.
completed or concluded, as of time: before the year is out
34.
in flower: the roses are out now
35.
in arms, esp, in rebellion: one of his ancestors was out in the Forty-Five
36.
(also prenominal) being out: the out position on the dial
37.
(informal) not concealing one's homosexuality
preposition
38.
out of; out through: he ran out the door
39.
(archaic or dialect) outside; beyond: he comes from out our domain
interjection
40.
  1. an exclamation, usually peremptory, of dismissal, reproach, etc
  2. (in wireless telegraphy) an expression used to signal that the speaker is signing off
41.
out with it, a command to make something known immediately, without missing any details
noun
42.
(mainly US) a method of escape from a place, difficult situation, punishment, etc
43.
(baseball) an instance of the putting out of a batter; putout
44.
(printing)
  1. the omission of words from a printed text; lacuna
  2. the words so omitted
45.
ins and outs, See in1 (sense 30)
verb
46.
(transitive) to put or throw out
47.
(intransitive) to be made known or effective despite efforts to the contrary (esp in the phrase will out): the truth will out
48.
(transitive) (informal) (of homosexuals) to expose (a public figure) as being a fellow homosexual
49.
(transitive) (informal) to expose something secret, embarrassing, or unknown about (a person): he was eventually outed as a talented goal scorer
Usage note
The use of out as a preposition, though common in American English, is regarded as incorrect in British English: he climbed out of (not out) a window; he went out through the door
Word Origin
Old English ūt; related to Old Saxon, Old Norse ūt, Old High German ūz, German aus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for outing
n.

late 14c., "action of going out;" mid-15c., "act of putting out;" verbal noun from out (v.). Meaning "airing, excursion, pleasure trip" is from 1821.

out

v.

Old English utian "expel, put out" (see out (adv.)); used in many senses over the years. Meaning "to expose as a closet homosexual" is first recorded 1990 (as an adjective meaning "openly avowing one's homosexuality" it dates from 1970s; see closet); sense of "disclose to public view, reveal, make known" has been present since mid-14c.

Eufrosyne preyde Þat god schulde not outen hire to nowiht. [Legendary of St. Euphrosyne, c.1350]
Related: Outed; outing.

out

n.

1620s, "a being out" (of something), from out (adv.). From 1860 in baseball sense; from 1919 as "means of escape; alibi."

out

adv.

Old English ut "out, without, outside," common Germanic (cf. Old Norse, Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Gothic ut, Middle Dutch uut, Dutch uit, Old High German uz, German aus), from PIE root *ud- "up, out, up away" (cf. Sanskrit ut "up, out," uttarah "higher, upper, later, northern;" Avestan uz- "up, out," Old Irish ud- "out," Latin usque "all the way to, without interruption," Greek hysteros "the latter," Russian vy- "out"). Meaning "into public notice" is from 1540s. As an adjective from c.1200. Meaning "unconscious" is attested from 1898, originally in boxing. Sense of "not popular or modern" is from 1966. As a preposition from mid-13c.

Sense in baseball (1860) was earlier in cricket (1746). Adverbial phrase out-and-out "thoroughly" is attested from early 14c.; adjective usage is attested from 1813; out-of-the-way (adj.) "remote, secluded" is attested from late 15c. Out-of-towner "one not from a certain place" is from 1911. Shakespeare's It out-herods Herod ("Hamlet") reflects Herod as stock braggart and bully in old religious drama and was widely imitated 19c. Out to lunch "insane" is student slang from 1955; out of this world "excellent" is from 1938; out of sight "excellent, superior" is from 1891.

v.

Old English utian "expel, put out" (see out (adv.)); used in many senses over the years. Meaning "to expose as a closet homosexual" is first recorded 1990 (as an adjective meaning "openly avowing one's homosexuality" it dates from 1970s; see closet); sense of "disclose to public view, reveal, make known" has been present since mid-14c.

Eufrosyne preyde Þat god schulde not outen hire to nowiht. [Legendary of St. Euphrosyne, c.1350]
Related: Outed; outing.

n.

1620s, "a being out" (of something), from out (adv.). From 1860 in baseball sense; from 1919 as "means of escape; alibi."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang definitions & phrases for outing

outing

noun

  1. A particular game or performance: Eldred rebounds from his lone poor outing (1980s+ Sports)
  2. (also outage) The exposure of someone as homosexual (late 1980s+)

out

adjective

  1. Attractive; au courant; hip, way out: Man, that Modigliani is really out (1942+ Beat & cool talk)
  2. Not modern, popular, or in accord with current taste: Those neckties are out this year (1966+)
  3. Openly avowing homosexuality; out of the closet (1970s+ Homosexuals)
  4. also out cold) Unconscious or intoxicated: The folks who use it are usually too luded out or preoccupied (1936+)
  5. Rejected; not to be considered •Said to be fr the editing or cutting room in a movie studio: Ask him again? No, that's out (1923+)

adverb

To the point of surfeit or exhaustion: I'm coffeed out for the time being/ I don't want them to think I'm losered out (1990s+)

noun

A way of escape; a plausible alibi or evasive course; let out: You have an out, though. You can talk (1919+)

verb

: Some gay activists have undertaken a campaign of outing, exposing well-known people who are believed to be gay (late 1980s+)

Related Terms

all get out, far out, get out, way out

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
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Idioms and Phrases with outing

out

also see:
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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