out of pocket
out of pocket
1. Of something paid for, with one's own, personal money. Hyphenated if used before a noun. The company is making me pay for all this equipment out of pocket! You'll have to pay for the plane tickets out of pocket, but you'll be reimbursed after you arrive. The out-of-pocket costs for these medical examinations are really straining my bank account. I hope my insurance reimburses me for some of them.
2. Lacking the adequate amount of money; poor or impoverished; having suffered a financial loss. Hyphenated if used before a noun. I get paid next week, so can we go out to dinner then? I'm just a bit out of pocket right now. The CEO drained the company's accounts and fled the country with the money, leaving behind out-of-pocket clients and investors.
3. Unavailable; away from one's desk or phone; not able to be contacted. Janet is out of pocket right now, but I can give her a message.
See also: of, out, pocket
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
out of pocket
1. Lacking money; also, having suffered a financial loss, as in We can't go; I'm out of pocket right now. William Congreve had it in The Old Bachelor (1693): "But egad, I'm a little out of pocket at present." [Late 1600s]
2. Referring to actual money spent, as in I had to pay the hotel bill out of pocket, but I know I'll be reimbursed. This expression sometimes occurs as a hyphenated adjective mainly in the phrase out-of-pocket expenses, as in My out-of-pocket expenses for business travel amounted to more than a thousand dollars. [Late 1800s]
See also: of, out, pocket
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
out of pocket
COMMON If you are out of pocket after an event or an activity, you have less money than you should have. The promoter claims he was left £36,000 out of pocket after the concert. As he'd been paid half his fee in advance he should not have been out of pocket. Note: You can use out-of-pocket before a noun to describe someone who is in this situation. There is likely to be a court battle between the company and out-of-pocket shareholders.
See also: of, out, pocket
out-of-pocket
COMMON Out-of-pocket expenses are costs connected with work that people pay themselves at first but are usually paid back to them later. I charge twenty dollars an hour plus out-of-pocket expenses. Note: If you pay out of pocket, you pay for something yourself and claim the money back later. As long as people have to pay out of pocket to see a physician, many people will not get the necessary care.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
out of pocket
having lost money in a transaction.See also: of, out, pocket
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
out of pocket
1. mod. out from under someone’s control; not manageable. The guy is wild. Completely out of pocket.
2. mod. [of expenses] small, incidental, not charged on a credit card. I was not able to get my out of pocket expenses reimbursed.
3. mod. out of the office; away from one’s desk; unavailable. (Alluding to a pager or cell phone being out of the user’s pocket, making the user unavailable.) Sorry. I was out of pocket when you called.
See also: of, out, pocket
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
out of pocket
1. Out of one's own resources: fees paid out of pocket.
2. Without funds or assets: a traveler who was caught out of pocket.
3. In a state of having experienced a loss, especially a financial one.
See also: of, out, pocket
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
- a light touch
- a round robin
- round robin
- eleventh hour
- heads I win, tails you lose
- black market
- get a makeover
- have a makeover
- wiggy
- first hand