For example, The composer's use of dissonance in this symphony is way out in left field, or His answer was out of left field; he was totally wrong. Well, that suggestion is certainly out of left field! "Out of left field" is American slang meaning "unexpected", "odd" or "strange". During a time period, the shape of the outfield in Yankee Stadium roughly approximated an oval, with the "long" portion pointing to left-center. This idiom refers to baseball's left field but the precise allusion is disputed. Example: Cole has put on weight over the years, so he wants to go on a diet. 2. a position or circumstance that … ... (especially in the phrases out in left field and way out in left field) noun. This is the British English definition of come out of left field.View American English definition of come out of left field.. Change your default dictionary to American English. It is quite difficult for a good left field ball to hit the ground in far left field, get picked up, and thrown, accurately across the entire field to the first … This term alludes to the left field of baseball, and there is some disagreement concerning its origin. Cook County Hospital (by the West Side Grounds, the Chicago Cubs first location under what is now the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine) had a mental institution behind left field, and "patients could be heard yelling and screaming things at fans behind the left field wall. "Out of left field" is American slang meaning "unexpected", "odd" or "strange". The semi-goofy person that issues such utterances is said to be out in left field, far away from the conventional and connected. Advertisement Sentence Examples. Look it up now! 279 synonyms for Out In Left Field (other words and phrases for Out In Left Field). Definition: Unexpected, random and odd. Its origin is unknown. Definition and synonyms of come out of left field from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.. Find more ways to say left-field, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Definition of left field. Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content. "[2] This is disputed since there is no evidence of the phrase being used before the 1940s, and the Cubs moved from the ballpark in 1915. Out in left field definition at Dictionary.com, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Out of left field describes something that takes one by surprise, something that is unexpected or perhaps incongruous. Learn more. Most baseball batters are right handed (therefore swing the bat from right to left) and hit a ball out into left field . [5], Further instances of the phrase were published in the 1940s, including more times in Billboard magazine and once in a humor book titled How to Be Poor. Out of Left Field We the People…Means Everyone. Linguist John Algeo told Safire that the phrase most likely came from baseball observers rather than from baseball fans or players. He is, like most theorists, out there in left field, ignoring the experimental evidence. be out in left field v expr verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end." as in screwy. WAY OUT IN LEFT FIELD - Out of touch, eccentric, odd; also, misguided. [13], In Safire's Political Dictionary, Safire writes that the phrase "out of left field" means "out of the ordinary, out of touch, far out. as in rummy. Online Slang Dictionary. [4] A 1943 article in Billboard magazine expands the use to describe people unexpectedly drawn to radio broadcasting: Latest twist in radio linked with the war is the exceptional number of quasi-clerical groups and individuals who have come out of left field in recent months and are trying to buy, not promote, radio time. [3]. What does left-field mean? What does the idiom “Out of Left Field” mean? could refer to the left side of a sports field and the unusual-ness of a successful score from this side of the pitch...it's a guess. ‘It just came out of left field, and it enabled me to do something's totally different from scoring a live-action TV series.’ ‘There are so many times where the actions of the various characters simply come out of left field.’ Synonyms for out in left field include off-center, odd, quirky, unconventional, off-the-wall, eccentric, strange, bizarre, offbeat and weird. left (or right) nut; Definitions include: In the same tradition as calling shotgun, these two terms refer to the back seats on the left and right side of the vehicle. SEE DEFINITION OF out in left field. A left-fielder would thus typically be stationed further back from the action than the center or right fielders, as he would have a greater amount of ground to cover. The question came out of left field, but Mary Ann wasn't really surprised. left-winger; Definitions include: in the United States, a member of the Democratic party. 1 : the position of the player defending left field. “Well, that came from way out in left field!” It’s something we’ve all heard, and most of us have said once or twice in our lives. Most of your ideas are out of left field. Hence, "out in left field" meant one was furthest from the action taking place at home-plate, and the most likely to draw erroneous, fanciful conclusions about that action; thus, in a general sense, someone out in the left field would be someone who was not taking part in the action of whatever endeavor we were talking about. As legend has it, a mental hospital was located directly behind the left field wall. "[11][12] 3 a : a state or position far from the mainstream (as of prevailing opinion) they were really out in left field with that idea. Obama Wins!!! [6][7][8], In May 1981, columnist William Safire asked readers of The New York Times to send him any ideas they had regarding the origin of the phrase "out of left field"—he did not know where it came from, and did not refer to Shaw's work. He is, like most theorists, out in left field, ignoring the experimental evidence. (See also. Come out of left field definition is - to be very surprising and unexpected. as in unconventional. as in kooky. WAY OUT IN LEFT FIELD - Out of touch, eccentric, odd; also, misguided. (in baseball) a. the area of the outfield to the left of center field, as viewed from home plate. Definition and synonyms of out in left field from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com! Define left-field. Most of your ideas are out of left field. 0. (See also out in left field.) come out of left field meaning: 1. to be completely unexpected and often unusual: 2. to be completely unexpected and often…. The phrase came from baseball terminology, referring to a play in which the ball is thrown from the area covered by the left fielder to either home plate or first base, surprising the runner. Another word for out in left field. The phrase came from baseball terminology, referring to a play in which the ball is thrown from the area covered by the left fielder to either home plate or first base, surprising the runner. The comment about the judge the other day was out of left field for my mind, it’s reasoning I don’t relate to. suddenly; from an unexpected source or direction. "The phrase "way out in left field" has evolved to mean an eccentric, odd, misguided or peculiar statement or act. This is the British English definition of come out of left field.View American English definition of come out of left field.. Change your default dictionary to American English. For the Hank Williams Jr album, see, "Cubs originally called West Side home | MLB.com", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Out_of_left_field&oldid=993675412, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 December 2020, at 21:51. b : a source of the unexpected or illogical that question came out of left field. Information and translations of left-field in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. to come out of left field definition in the English Cobuild dictionary for learners, to come out of left field meaning explained, see also 'come at',come about',come across',come along', English vocabulary There is another usage that comes also from baseball. Definition of left-field in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of (out) in left field in English (out) in left field strange, unusual, or completely wrong: I wouldn't vote for him – his ideas are way out in left field. as in rum. I highly enjoying reading Out of Left Field, and highly recommend it to readers who love playful, sport-centred YA contemporary. Out of Left Field is a lighthearted, sport-adoring, lots-of-fun novel that revels in the celebration of strong friendship, pushing the boundaries, and finding the courage to chase your dream. 1. singular noun If you say that someone or something has come out of left field or is out in left field, you mean that they are untypical, unusual, or strange in some way. Another way to say Out In Left Field? https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/out+of+left+field. (figuratively) An unexpected, bizarre, or unwatched source (especially in the phrases out of left field and from left field). Lucky/Unlucky. All of his paintings are right out of left field. Some writers suggest it comes from the remoteness of left field, but only in very asymmetrical ballparks is left field more distant than right field. Out of left field is contained in 1 match in Merriam-Webster Dictionary. out of left field. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Popular music historian Arnold Shaw wrote in 1949 for the Music Library Association that the term "out of left field" was first used in the idiomatic sense of "from out of nowhere" by the music industry to refer to a song that unexpectedly performed well in the market. Another word for left-field. The idiom out of left field is taken from American baseball terminology, and its earliest use seems to stem from the 1950s. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Variations include "out in left field" and simply "left field". 2 : the part of the baseball outfield to the left looking out from the plate. The origin lies in the West Side Grounds that the Chicago Cubs called home from 1893 to 1915. This Slang page is designed to explain what the meaning of out of left field is. Michigan left Someone or something that is out in left field or out of left field is strange or unusual, or doing things differently from most other people. [10][11] The earliest scholarly citation Safire could find was a 1961 article in the journal American Speech, which defined the variation "out in left field" as meaning "disoriented, out of contact with reality. How did you come up with that one? as in stranded. Dictionary ! “Well, that came from way out in left field!” It’s something we’ve all heard, and most of us have said once or twice in our lives. Definitions include: to be left behind. [4] A "rocking chair hit" was the kind of song which came "out of left field" and sold itself, allowing the song plugger to relax. Strange, and unexpected. Learn more. to come out of left field definition in the English Cobuild dictionary for learners, to come out of left field meaning explained, see also 'come at',come about',come across',come along', English vocabulary The phrase out of left field may refer to something that is odd or does not fit.The idiom out of left field is taken from American baseball terminology, and its earliest use seems to stem from the 1950s.Its origin is unknown. a musical outfit specialising in clubby, electronica sounds i believe. [9] On June 28, 1981, he devoted most of his Sunday column to the phrase, offering up various responses he received. Thus, if someone said that you were "way out in left field," the person was questioning your sanity and comparing you with a mental patient. However, his determination was quickly put to the test whenout of left field his wife came home with a box full of donuts. A related phrase, “from [or out of] left field,” meaning out of the blue or without warning, came along in the 1940s, also via baseball. A related phrase, “from [or out of] left field,” meaning out of the blue or without warning, came along in the 1940s, also via baseball. Uncommon, unpopular, or otherwise strange. (Ok, I realize I’m a Little Late With This) Posted by Kristin Crighton on November 19, 2012. Synonyms for out in left field include off-center, odd, quirky, unconventional, off-the-wall, eccentric, strange, bizarre, offbeat and weird. Out of left field describes something that takes one by surprise, something that is unexpected or perhaps incongruous. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com! left field definition: 1. the left part of the field in baseball 2. unusual and different from what is normally seen…. [15] He did not cite Shaw's work and he did not point to printed instances of the phrase in the 1940s. [17][3], This article is about an American slang term. Marcus Callies, an associate professor of English and philology at the University of Mainz in Germany, wrote that "the precise origin is unclear and disputed", referring to Christine Ammer's conclusion in The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. The institute housed mental patients who could be heard making strange and bizarre comments within listening distance of players and fans. A list of slang words and phrases, idioms, jargon, acronyms, and abbreviations. RSS. Sure, my aunt is really wacky and often out of left field, but I love her to pieces! AMERICAN. "[14] He compares the term to left-wing politics and the Left Coast—slang for the liberal-leaning coastal cities in California, Oregon and Washington. [16] Callies suggested that the left fielder in baseball might throw the ball to home plate in an effort to get the runner out before he scores, and that the ball, coming from behind the runner out of left field, would surprise the runner. Meaning of left-field. Menu. Learn definitions, uses, and phrases with out of left field. left-field synonyms, left-field pronunciation, left-field translation, English dictionary definition of left-field. “I’m gonna eat healthier starting today,” he said. [14], In 1998, American English professor Robert L. Chapman, in his book American Slang, wrote that the phrase "out of left field" was in use by 1953. A position far from the center or mainstream, as of opinion or reason. Some writers suggest it comes from the remoteness of left field, but only in very asymmetrical ballparks is left field more distant than right field. Left field is far away, and "wrong" as left always is -- so an unexpected idea, one that comes from no connected thread, a non sequitur, is said to come from out of left field. This term alludes to the left field of baseball, and there is some disagreement concerning its origin. Find more ways to say out in left field, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. The batter immediately drops the bat and runs to the right to get to first base. or the left-h-s of the brain and the type of functions controlled therein. The slang word / phrase / acronym out of left field means... . [16], From the Way Out In Left Field Society: 0. Come out of left field definition: to be completely unexpected | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples This is the British English definition of out in left field.View American English definition of out in left field.. Change your default dictionary to American English. For example: “The small independent film came from out of left field and won all the big awards.” Notes: This is similar to “out of the blue” and “out of nowhere,” but “out of left field” often carries a suggestion of something strange. 1. God, did that ever come out of left field! (odd, eccentric) ser extraño, ser raro loc verb locución verbal: Unidad léxica estable formada de dos o más palabras que funciona como verbo ("sacar fuerzas de flaqueza", "acusar recibo"). as in spacey/spacy. [1], According to the Major League Baseball website the term means "crazy." Come out of left field definition: to be completely unexpected | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples b. the position of the player covering this area. The defensive position in the outfield to the left. Search to come out of left field and thousands of other words in English definition and synonym dictionary from Reverso. Definition and synonyms of come out of left field from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.. "[14] The variation "out in left field" means alternately "removed from the ordinary, unconventional" or "out of contact with reality, out of touch. When something comesout of left field that means it was surprising or unexpected. [4] Based on baseball lingo, a sentence such as "That was a hit out of left field" was used by song pluggers who promoted recordings and sheet music, to describe a song requiring no effort to sell. refers also to something that comes out of the blue, unexpectedly, as if from nowhere. out of left field suddenly; from an unexpected source or direction. What does left-field mean? out of left field. How to use come out of left field in a sentence. The phrase out of left field may refer to something that is odd or does not fit. as in off the wall. Variations include "out in left field" and simply "left field". Swing the bat and runs to the test whenout of left field wall I love her pieces. The 1940s come out of left field from the conventional and connected this idiom refers to baseball 's field! Is another usage that comes out of left field meaning: 1. to completely. Concerning its origin this idiom refers to baseball 's left field may refer to something is. 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