What does "out of pocket" mean to you?

[MontanaZoo]

A friend of mine just asked me to define this and I defined it this way:

That I'm doing something with a group of people and there will be an extra expense, if it's for work, I'd expect to be reimbursed, if not then it's an additional cost.

She works with a lot of Texans and she says they use it this way:

"I'll be out of pocket this afternoon, so just send me an email and I'll get back to you."

 

[bsnyder]

I've heard it used in both a financial context and in the second example you gave - being unreachable for a period of time.

 

[Nette]

Lived in Austin all my life, and have NEVER heard it used as an out of touch thing...

 

[NMAmy]

Lived in Austin all my life, and have NEVER heard it used as an out of touch thing...

I have a friend from the Dallas area and she says this all the time.

I also heard it used in that way often when I lived in New Mexico. I say it myself from time to time.

 

[Maleficent13]

Never heard it used as being unreachable. Just as in "out of pocket" expense.

 

[lysico]

Out of the loop is a term we use in NY but mostly to mean you were not part of the conversation or such. There are times when it means that you are not around.

 

[amyhughes]

Hubby and I are self employed and use the term quite often. Oddly enough we are in the Oil and Gas business. Know of quite a few Texans who use it in our industry. Wonder if it stems from that? Have not heard it in other fields.

 

[MontanaZoo]

Thanks for the replies, in Montana we use out of the loop or out of the office etc, but I've never heard out of pocket used this way before. Interesting.

 

[Buckalew11]

Around here when someone says they'll be "out of pocket" it means unreachable.

Now "out of pocket" expenses means you'll be forking out some money.

 

[Master Mason]

I had never heard it used as being unavailable until I started working in the High tech arena, it gets used there a lot in that manner.

 

[singingpixie]

I think of it as an "out of pocket" expense.... although on the DIS it's specifically things that the dining plan won't cover!

 

[Galahad]

I've heard it both ways - unavailable, etc. all my life. I live in the midwest.

 

[Shyvioletisme]

A friend of mine just asked me to define this and I defined it this way:

That I'm doing something with a group of people and there will be an extra expense, if it's for work, I'd expect to be reimbursed, if not then it's an additional cost.

She works with a lot of Texans and she says they use it this way:

"I'll be out of pocket this afternoon, so just send me an email and I'll get back to you."

well I"m born and raised and still live in Texas and have NEVER heard the second example..
All I know is the first definition...

 

[binny]

Never heard it used as being unreachable. Just as in "out of pocket" expense.

me too

 

[lysico]

We moved from NY to Wisconsin for two years for a temp assignment.

They call sprinkles , jimmies there
And donuts are longjohns (in Ny longjohns would be long thermal winter underwear)

Had a great talk with a new co-worker one morning after he saw me leave a 7-11 with a donut.

He is telling me how he saw me with my longjohns and jimmies this morning. I am like what the heck? You saw me in my underwear with a small boy!

Them are fighting words!! Took awhile to figure out the Wisconsin to New York translation

 

[MontanaZoo]

It's sprinkles and donuts here in Montana too.

 

[ChrizJen]

I've never heard it used that way either.
But I can see the meaning.
If someone will be out of the office, they're "off the clock". So any expenses they incur will be "out of pocket", as opposed to work related activities, which would be billable. Make sense?

Oh, and it's sprinkles here in Missouri too...LOL

 

[darlak]

Out of pocket expenses are something you will pay for yourself and not be reimbursed.

The other kind of "out of pocket" is the first thing that came to mind when I saw this thread title. I've heard it and used it all my life. I've taken at least one girl's only road trip every year with friends and/or family for most of life. Before the days of cell phones, we always told everyone that we would be out of pocket while on the road, but would call often to check in.

I still use the expression daily when I am driving home from work. I live in a very remote area that gets no cell service, so between the time I enter that dead zone and before I get home, I am "out of pocket".

 

[bumbershoot]

For those of you who haven't heard the "out of touch" use of the phrase, go watch Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible. It's in there.

I figured it was a spy phrase.


Wikipedia says "Since at least 1970, the phrase out of pocket has been occasionally used as a synonym for out of contact".

 

[RadioNate]

both ways...

in the business world it is usually "unreachable" unless you are talking travel.