left field

American  

noun

1. Baseball.

   1. the area of the outfield to the left of center field, as viewed from home plate.

   2. the position of the player covering this area.

2. Slang. a position or circumstance that is remote from an ordinary or general trend.

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idioms

1. out in left field, completely mistaken; wrong.

left-field British  

adjective

1. informal regarded as being outside the mainstream; unconventional

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left field More Idioms  

1. see out in left field.

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Etymology

Origin of left field

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

Mosaku: Ryan explained the movie to me in and around the scene, and my mind was blown because it made complete sense, but it came completely out of left field for me.

From Los Angeles Times

But Chalamet's final pick of someone who demonstrated British greatness comes totally out of left field.

From BBC

In the last five years alone, a pandemic, an inflation spike and a trade war all appeared out of left field to confound expectations.

From MarketWatch

Even though the entire dream seems like it came out of left field … the woman’s disappearance makes me think about Grandma.

From Literature

And after watching Michael Conforto struggle in left field last year, finding a more established upgrade would certainly help the Dodgers’ three-peat quest.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• disproportionate
• improper
• incorrect
• irrelevant
• tasteless
• unseemly
• unsuitable
• wrong