odd man out
Meaning: The person who is left out; the person who doesn't fit in.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The expression probably originates from the idea of choosing up two sides for a game in which both teams need an even number of players. If there were an uneven number of people wanting to play, the last (odd) person was left out. The expression has broadened in its meaning to describe anyone who is not included or made to feel part of a group. When the expression is used to describe a woman, the word "man" does not become "woman".
More idioms — Daily Life
- odds and ends — Small items that are left over, don't match, or are missing a mate.
- off the beaten path — Off the road or way that is most often chosen by other people.
- off the cuff — Without much advance preparation; spontaneously.
- old-boy network — The male connections that a man acquires, usually while in college or the military, later…
- old fuddy-duddy — A person who is old-fashioned and not open to new technology or ideas.
- old hat — Routine to the point of boredom (sentence 1); old-fashioned and outmoded (sentence 2).
More English idioms
- off one's rocker — Out of one's mind; slightly crazy.
- off the wall — Unusual; peculiar.
- on a warpath — Looking for a fight; very angry and upset with someone or something.
- put something on hold — To postpone something; to wait until later (sentences 1 and 2); to ask somebody to wait w…
- on a treadmill — In a dull and boring routine.
- on one's last legs — About to die, fail, or collapse.
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