odd man out
or odd-man-out
a method of selecting or eliminating a person from a group, as by matching coins, especially in preparation for playing a game.
the person so selected or eliminated.
a game consisting of this method.
Origin of odd man out
1Words Nearby odd man out
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use odd man out in a sentence
No one likes to be the odd man out, so join your fellow blue bloods at Chinooks.
Best Broncos and Seahawks Bars to Watch Super Bowl XLVIII | Justin Jones | January 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWorking for the Obama administration, Mattis has often found himself the odd man out—particularly when it comes to Iran.
As Obama Preaches Patience, Mattis Prepares for War With Iran | Eli Lake | May 21, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTMitt Romney, odd man out p. 294-295: Romney has no reticence about slashing at his rivals.
We three had to be content with the other room, and two beds; odd man out for the whole one.
Three in Norway | James Arthur LeesThe colonel insisted on coming into our "odd man out" gamble.
Pushed and the Return Push | George Herbert Fosdike Nichols, (AKA Quex)
A jolly little supper, wailed the odd man out, seeing pt and lobster slipping irrevocably through his fingers.
Twos and Threes | G. B. SternDo they go "odd man out" to decide who shall pay for the banquet?
The Gerrards are coming for bridge, and you'll be odd man out.
The Tidal Wave and Other Stories | Ethel May Dell
Other Idioms and Phrases with odd man out
A person who is left out of a group for some reason, as in The invitation was for couples only, so Jane was odd man out. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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