1608. Sir John Harington, Catal. of Bishops, Carlyle. Marks—removed from Carlisle to Lamos in Greece; viz. out of God's blessing into a warme sunne, as the saying is.
1615. Harrington, Epigrams, ii. 56. Pray God they bring us not, when all is done, Out of God's blessing into this warm sun.
1660. Howell, Eng. Proverbs, 5. s.v.
1760. Ray, Proverbs. s.v.
Out for an airing, phr. (racing).—Said of a horse not meant to win.
1889. Sporting Times, 29 June. But while Isabel, in racing slang, was fairly 'on the job,' Her friend was only out for an airing.
1889. Standard, 25 June. Trainers and jockeys, from various trivial circumstances, very easily gathered whether a particular horse was only out for an airing, or whether it was on the job.
[Other colloquial combinations are To be at outs = to quarrel; to make no outs (of a person) = to misunderstand; out of countenance = confounded; out of hand = (1) immediately, without delay, (2) ungovernable; out of cry = out of measure; out of frame = out of order; out of heart = worn out (of land), down hearted (of persons); out (or down) at heel (or at elbows) = shabbily dressed; out at leg = feeding in hired pastures (of cattle); out-of-pocket = a loser: out of temper = too hot, or too cold; out of print = see quot.; out of the way = uncommon, etc., etc. Also see barrel; collar; funds; harness; have; kelter; loose; lug; picaroon; pocket; puff; register; sorts; wood.
d.1555. Latimer [Century]. The King's majesty when he cometh to age, will see a redress of those things so out of frame.
1605. Shakspeare, King Lear, ii. 2. A good man's future may grow out at heels.
1696. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Out at heels.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Out at heels.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
1819. Vaux, Memoirs, ii. 194. Out of the way, a thief who knows that he is sought after by the traps on some information, and consequently goes out of town, or otherwise conceals himself, is said by his pals to be out of the way for so and so, naming the particular offence he stands charged with. [See Wanted].
1823. Grose, Vulg. Tongue [Egan]. Out of Print. Slang made use of by booksellers. In speaking of any person that is dead, they observe, he is out of print.
1851-6. Mayhew, Lond. Lab. and Lond. Poor, iii. 122. He was a little down at heel.
Out-and-out, adj. and adv. (colloquial).—Thorough;
prime
(q.v.); 'far and away.'
. . . Rawlinson MS., C. 36. The kyng was good alle aboute, And she was wyckyd oute and oute, For she was of suche comforte, She lovyd mene ondir her lorde.
1819. Vaux, Memoirs, ii. 193. Out-and-out, quite; completely; effectually.
1837. Thackeray, Yellow Plush Papers, in Fraser's Mag., 10 Oct. Skelton's Anatomy is a work which as been long wanted in the littery world A reglar, slap up, no mistake, out-an'-out account of the manners of gentele society.
1843. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, vii. 71. A quarrelsome family, or a malicious family, or even a good out-and-out mean family, would open a field of action as I might do something in.
1874. E. L. Linton, Patricia Kemball, vii. You are out-and-out the most independent radical for a lady I have ever seen.
1897. Kennard, Girl in Brown Habit, ii. That's the way with them out-and-out sportsmen. They're always the first to come to a comrade's assistance.
Out-and-outer, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A
person or thing,
superlative.
1819. Vaux, Memoirs, ii. 194. Out and outer, an incorrigible depredator, who will rob friend or stranger indiscriminately. Ibid. A person of a resolute determined spirit, who pursues his object without regard to danger or difficulties.
