3

The question about "he looked out the window" vs. "he looked out of the window" has already been asked and answered satisfactorily: apparently it's a matter of taste and de gustibus non est disputandum.

Now English is admirably flexible but it cannot be infinitely flexible, hence my question: are there any specific cases where I should better opt for the "out of" or rather for the bare "out" lest I sound like the well-meaning illiterate I really am?

OK, after two days of silence I gather that there's no easy rule of thumb, thus one can rely only on his own Sprachgefühl. Anyway thanks for trying.

Community
  • 1
  • 2
    Could you supply some examples that you think might not be okay? "I got out (of) bed to answer this question" is certainly incorrect without the 'of'. – Spehro Pefhany Feb 04 '17 at 09:12
  • 3
    "Out Africa" wouldn't win any Oscars. – Edwin Ashworth Feb 04 '17 at 12:21
  • 1
    "The umpire called the batter out of" would be wrong, I suppose. – Hot Licks Feb 04 '17 at 13:33
  • 2
    @EdwinAshworth - Actually, I imagine "Out Africa" would make a pretty good art house film. – Hot Licks Feb 04 '17 at 13:33
  • John Lawler lists some restrictions on usage in the is-it-really-a-duplicate? – Edwin Ashworth Feb 04 '17 at 13:44
  • 1
    I doubt you all are going to run out of examples any time soon. – Airymouse Feb 04 '17 at 14:10
  • All right, if you're looking for strict rules you'll better rule out English, I know - that's one of the reasons why I love it. But would anyone try to squeeze at least a vague, rickety, faint guideline? Pleeease! :-) –  Feb 04 '17 at 17:47
  • 1
    Nice question. The opposite of out is "in," and there is a definite difference between "He walked into the room" vs. "He walked in the room." (The former means he entered the room, while the latter means he was already in the room, perhaps pacing.) There doesn't seem to be an analogous pattern for out. I wonder if physical movement has something to do with the question? "She walked out of the room," "He moved out of his apartment," "They walked out of the meeting," etc. would all sound odd without the "of." – Syntax Junkie Feb 08 '17 at 17:56
  • @Randall Stewart: Well, if you want to stretch it a bit there would be a "he walked (long) outside the house (perhaps pacing)" vs. "he walked out of the house (slamming the door)". The more we dig, the more we find... will there ever be an end to it? –  Feb 08 '17 at 19:58
  • 1
    Hmmm, physical movement... are you meaning "he looked out the window" but "he climbed out of the window"? This sounds definitely promising! Wouldn't you make into a maybe-so answer? –  Feb 08 '17 at 21:25
  • @Chiron: I appreciate the encouragement, but I'm reluctant to submit an answer for such a thin hypothesis. I'm hoping others may find counterexamples. There are the phrases "out of order" or "We're all out of tickets" in which "out" is paired with "of" without any kind of physical movement. (Although "out" in those two examples seems idiomatic and doesn't have much to do with positioning relative to a container.) But in the end, I only have half-baked ideas and not an answer. – Syntax Junkie Feb 08 '17 at 23:39
  • @Randall Stewart: "A brilliant intuition is the seed of any great theory". Someone said it but I'll be damned if I remember who :-) –  Feb 09 '17 at 09:41
  • In one ear and out the other sounds wrong to me when you add an of. But Google shows that the version with of is definitely in use. I think this shows that some people always add of after the preposition out. – Peter Shor Feb 11 '17 at 14:03
  • Ngram for previous comment – Peter Shor Feb 11 '17 at 14:06

1 Answers1

2

This is a hypothesis. I haven't found any authoritative source, but neither have I found any counter-examples.

I think there are 3 descriptive rules at play:

  1. If the sentence uses "out" in reference to the enclosure that is being exited, "of" is always used:

    • Move out of my apartment. (Not "Move out my apartment.")
    • Get out of the armed forces. (Not "Get out the armed forces.")
    • Walk out of a relationship. (Not "Walk out a relationship.")
    • Get out of Dodge. (Not "Get out Dodge.")
    • Get out of the car. (Not, "Get out the car.")
    • Air leaked out of the balloon. (I have heard expressions similar to "Air leaked out the balloon" or "Water leaked out the tub." But they have an unsophisticated feel.)

  2. If the sentence uses "out" in reference to the portal used to exit the enclosure, then "of" is often omitted:

    • Walk out the door.
    • Look out the window.
    • Air leaked out the hole.
    • Water gushed out the drain

  3. Even when referring to a portal, "of" can mean "through." So you can optionally include "of" if you want to emphasize the portal in some way:

    • Walk out of the door.
    • Look out of the window.
    • Air leaked out of the hole.
    • Water gushed out of the drain.
Syntax Junkie
  • 2,162