Built from out of and pocket, the place where personal money was traditionally carried. The financial use is recorded from 1679, and the adjective for a direct cash expense from 1885. The sense of being wildly inappropriate comes from mid-20th-century African American English.
What does out of pocket mean?
It can mean paying personally, losing money, being unreachable, or acting wildly inappropriately. Context and region decide the sense.
What does out of pocket mean in slang?
It describes behavior or speech that is shockingly inappropriate, extreme, or out of line.
Can out of pocket mean unavailable?
Yes. In informal American use, it can mean temporarily unreachable by phone or message.
What are out-of-pocket expenses?
They are costs paid with personal money instead of being covered by an employer, insurer, or another source.
Why does out of pocket mean a financial loss in Britain?
The older financial expression describes having less money after a cost or failed transaction, the opposite of being in pocket.
Where did the slang sense of out of pocket come from?
Merriam-Webster traces the inappropriate-behavior sense to African American English in the mid-20th century.