Random Thought: Phrases that Don't Mean what They Sound Like They Mean

[kaasirpent]

I heard someone on a podcast say that he liked to spend time "out of doors."

Now, I know what it means. It means the same thing as "outside" and "outdoors." The antonym of "inside" or "indoors." I've heard it all my life, and until this most recent occurrence, it never sounded anything but normal.

But if you think about it, it's a weird phrase. "Out of doors." Like it's a shortening of "outside of doors," said doors being the barrier separating inside from outside.

No one says "in of doors" as a shortening of "inside of doors." (Or at least I sincerely hope they don't.)

To me, the phrase "out of doors" should only ever be used in the following situation.

[DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENT FOLLOWS]¹

INT. LOWES OR HOME DEPOT OR SOME OTHER STORE OF THAT TYPE.

A MAN, dressed in 'construction' clothes, enters. CLERK is behind information desk.

MAN

          Excuse me, where is the doors department?

CLERK

          It's on aisle 13, sir.

MAN

[Starts to walk away when CLERK interrupts]

CLERK

          But I'm sorry, sir; we're out of doors at the moment.

[END OF SCENE]

That is the only context in which it makes sense, as far as I'm concerned. So I must conclude that said podcaster likes it when he possesses no doors.

---

1. Actually, it's more of an ENACTMENT, since there's no RE involved . . .

Comments

[kiteflier98.livejournal.com]

Agreed... It sounds odd to me as well when used to mean "outside".