• Bgugi@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      “Out of pocket” meaning unruly, inappropriate, or out of control appears to have usage at least as far back as the 1940s.

      • Irishred88@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        In what of part of the English speaking world is this phrase used this way. I’ve only ever understood “out of pocket” to mean, to use immediately available resources to pay for something.

        • Bgugi@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          https://archive.org/details/cassellsdictiona00gree/page/884/mode/2up I’ve seen several sources pointing to this particular dictionary, but I’m not familiar enough with Internet archive lending to pull the specific page. I also haven’t found any primary sources from that time period to correlate.

          Its much more recent, but 50 Cent used it in a number of songs, including 2005’s “in my hood”

          Sheeit, bitch get out of pocket, she need some discipline

          • Trailblazing Braille Taser@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            9 months ago

            Sorry, the claim that “out of pocket” has this alternate, non-financial definition going back to the 1940s is entirely unsupported.

            There are four references to “out of pocket” in the book, according to Google Books. All of them have to do with money. https://books.google.com/books/about/Cassell_s_Dictionary_of_Slang.html?id=5GpLcC4a5fAC

            If you look at the 50 Cent lyrics in context, they’re saying that crack money has slowed down, so the “bitch” is paying out of pocket. https://genius.com/50-cent-in-my-hood-lyrics

            Crack money slow so you know niggas is trippin’ (Yea!)

            Shorty down there on that Queens tracks takin a whippin’

            Sheeit, bitch get out of pocket, she need some discipline

            Peep the fiend shootin diesel in his arm in the alley

            Edit: on reflection, I’m not sure I understand the lyrics well enough to say which way he means “out of pocket” to be taken.