out to lunch
out to lunch (idiom)
/ˌaʊt tə ˈlʌntʃ/
Synopsis
The idiom “out to lunch” refers to mental distraction or poor judgment, evolving from its literal meaning of being away for a midday meal. Originating in American English, it acquired its figurative sense in the mid-twentieth century, using physical absence as a metaphor for cognitive disengagement.
Meanings
- Mentally distracted, confused, or not paying attention.
- Acting foolishly or showing poor judgment.
- Temporarily unavailable or unreachable, especially at work.
- Literally away because one has gone to eat lunch.
Synonyms: absent-minded; distracted; clueless; not all there; checked out; unavailable.
Example Sentences
- He kept answering the wrong questions in the meeting and sounded completely out to lunch.
- Anyone who believes that plan will succeed is clearly out to lunch.
- I tried calling her desk, but she’s out to lunch until early afternoon.
- The supervisor is out to lunch, so the office will reopen shortly (literal).
Etymology and Origin
Literal Beginnings: From Meal Break to Metaphor
The phrase “out to lunch” originates from the literal practice of leaving one’s workplace to take a midday meal. In English, “lunch” as a term for the midday meal became widespread in the nineteenth century, though the meal itself—in various forms—existed earlier. Being out to lunch literally indicated that an individual was physically away from their usual place of work during a normal business day. Over time, this literal sense provided the basis for metaphorical extensions in colloquial speech, where physical absence came to signify mental or attentional absence.
Figurative Shift: Inattentiveness and Mental Absence
By the mid-twentieth century, the expression took on figurative meaning in informal American English. Speakers began using “out to lunch” to describe someone who was inattentive, distracted, or not fully engaged with a situation. This metaphorical usage plays on the image of a person being elsewhere—physically out having lunch—and thus not mentally present with the immediate conversation or task. By extension, the phrase also acquired connotations of being out of touch with reality or showing poor judgment.
The figurative use was particularly prominent in workplace and social contexts where being mentally present was important. Over time, the phrase became embedded in American slang and informal discourse as a mildly critical way to describe confused or disconnected thinking.
Historical Timeline and Geographic Origin
The idiomatic usage of “out to lunch” clearly developed in the United States. Records of this figurative meaning—as a metaphor for inattentiveness or lack of presence—appear in American English from the mid-twentieth century onward. Evidence suggests that this usage was established by the 1950s, aligning with broader patterns of American workplace culture and slang formation during that period.
Extended senses of the phrase, including humorous or harsher meanings, evolved later as idiomatic English continued to influence social and professional language.
Earliest Printed Record
The earliest specific record of the idiom “out to lunch” in its figurative sense dates from the mid-1950s. Etymological research notes that the slang sense—implying that a person is “not there” mentally—was first recorded around 1955. This reflects a transitional moment when the phrase shifted from purely literal usage to a broader informal meaning relating to mental absence.
At present, no widely cited printed passage before 1955 has been documented showing the idiomatic sense. The notation of a 1955 attestation is regarded as the earliest confirmed use of this figurative meaning, embedded within American English discourse.
Conceptual Development and Linguistic Impact
The phrase “out to lunch” shows a common pattern in idiomatic language: a literal phrase based on something that happens in real life (taking a lunch break) is used to describe abstract mental states (absentmindedness, inattentiveness). The phrase reflects cultural contexts where workplace routines and daily schedules provide imagery for broader human behaviors.
Once established, the idiom gained further expressive range in spoken language. It has appeared in literary, journalistic, and conversational contexts to convey anything from mild distraction to a deeper disconnect from realistic thinking.
Variants
- out to lunch mentally
- gone to lunch
- out for lunch
- still out to lunch
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