Out. The opposite of in.
You can take just about any other letter, or word, and combine it with the word out. Like “side.”
Out becomes “outside.” When you leave the inside. Or, flip the words around to “side out.” A term in volleyball that means something or other. I’ve never played volleyball, but I think it has to do with not scoring a point.
Anyway, more on out.
Put the word “take” alongside out. Outtake, like in a movie. Or take out, like in a restaurant.
The word out is versatile.
It can be coupled with about any letter, plus or minus.
Pout. When we purse our lips over spilled milk, looking petulant and sulky. It is rarely a good look on anyone.
Shout. We’ve all done this once or twice. Maybe we told someone to duck. Or perhaps we let someone know where they could go. It could be a yelp, like stubbing a toe. Or maybe a cheer for a touchdown scored, or a ballet performed to perfection, or even an ice cream sundae. Then, there is the laundry additive Shout, which gets the stains out.
Clout. Influence. Power. Pull. I may be out, but I have no clout.
Gout. It is when your uric acid goes wonky. Hurts your toes. Or more.
Tout. It is when we praise the merits of someone or even something. We may even use those praises to be persuasive. Like touting McDonald’s as the best place to get a hamburger. Which it is not.
About. On the subject of something. Like, this blog today was “about” the versatility of out.
But let’s get back to the first word mentioned here. The outside.
Things are divided between the inside and the outside. Like the space inside our houses, as opposed to the great outdoors.
Or what about the cells in our bodies? They all have an inside/outside.
A basketball court.
A sauna.
A toad.
Most everything has an inside, and an outside, come to think of it.
When I was in school, both primary and secondary, there were groups. Cliques. You were either on the inside or the outside of those.
But it all depended on your perspective. On where you stood. The cool kids. The nerds. The bandies. The jocks. The brains. The cheerleaders. And on and on and on.
The same thing goes these days in our country. It is abhorrently divided into sections. And you are either on the inside of a group or the outside. Either the left or the right. There is barely an in-between. Not anymore.
I’m not sure how it has gotten to this. But we all think we know what is right and good. And when others don’t agree with us, we side with those who think as we do.
But a huge problem occurs with this behavior when our “knowing what is right” is based on lies, misinformation, or propaganda. We have to be able to recognize that the Emperor isn’t wearing any clothes.
Yes indeed. The out. We should always seek “out” the truth.
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“The outside doesn’t always match the inside.”
― Rebekah Crane, The Upside of Falling Down
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“Every moment is a crossroad in time. Consider that, as above so below and as inside so outside and live accordingly.”
― Grigoris Deoudis
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“People are a lot like magical pockets. They’re a lot bigger on the inside than they appear to be on the outside.”
― Roshani Chokshi, Aru Shah and the End of Time
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Out. Like side. Or take. Shout about it. Pout about it. No doubt about it.
