out of the way
out of the way (idiom / phrase)
/ˌaʊt əv ðə ˈweɪ/
Meanings
- Unusual, strange, or odd in behavior or character.
- Difficult, troublesome, or hard to deal with.
- Completed, finished, or dealt with.
- Located in a remote, isolated, or inconvenient place.
- Moved aside, displaced, or physically removed from a path. (literal)
Synonyms: strange; unusual; awkward; difficult; remote; inconvenient; finished; removed.
Example Sentences
- His reaction was a bit out of the way, as if he had never seen such a thing before.
- Fixing that old machine was really out of the way, but the mechanic managed it.
- I’m glad the paperwork is out of the way, now we can relax.
- They live in an out of the way village that few tourists ever visit.
- They found an out-of-the-way café that no one else seemed to know about.
- Please get out of the way so the ambulance can pass.
- She pushed the chair out of the way so the children had room to play.
Origin and History
The phrase “out of the way” originates from Old and Middle English, evolving from a literal description of spatial displacement to an idiomatic expression denoting remoteness or unusualness. It derives from combining “out,” meaning away or beyond, and “way,” referring to a path or road. This combination initially described objects or individuals removed from a primary route, implying physical separation.
Over time, the phrase developed figurative meanings, encompassing isolated locations or deviations from societal norms. This straightforward linguistic progression, rooted in English’s natural development, lacks competing theories and reflects how literal spatial terms informed broader idiomatic uses by the late medieval period.
Historical Development
The phrase first appeared in its literal sense in the 13th century, describing removal from obstructions, and gained idiomatic significance by the 14th century to denote remoteness. By the 15th century, the adjectival form “out-of-the-way” emerged, emphasizing seclusion or eccentricity. Its usage expanded in the late 18th century to include notions of the unusual or extraordinary, particularly in writings reflecting Enlightenment-era interest in novelty and isolation. This evolution mirrors broader shifts in English, where prepositional phrases adapted to describe geographical and social peripheries, maintaining consistent meaning into modern usage.
Country of Origin
The phrase emerged in England, specifically within the Middle English dialect spoken between 1100 and 1500. Rooted in Anglo-Saxon and Norman linguistic traditions, it developed as a distinctly English expression tied to concepts of travel and space. No evidence indicates influence from continental languages, confirming its origin as a native English construction shaped by Britain’s insular linguistic environment.
Earliest Printed Record
The earliest recorded use of “out of the way” in its idiomatic sense of remoteness appears around 1350 in Middle English literature, specifically in the Cursor Mundi, a northern English poem by an anonymous author. The phrase occurs in the line “Þai gange out of þe way,” meaning to deviate to remote or isolated locales, either physically or spiritually. Due to the manuscript-based nature of 14th-century texts, precise publication dates are unavailable, but this instance marks the phrase’s early idiomatic application, predating later 17th-century hyphenated forms.
Variants
- out-of-the-way (hyphenated, adjective use)
- get out of the way
- put out of the way
- stay out of the way
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