Street voices
Hugues
·
United States
"Out of left field, when something appears very suddenly and jarringly. So the other night, I was on a date with this chick, and you know, we're talking, laughing, things are going great, and then she just hits me with... So have you ever made out with your sister? What? Like, what kind of question is that? Totally out of left field."
What it means
Means something arrives so unexpectedly it throws everyone sideways, whether it is a question, comment, idea, or whole situation. It usually carries a bit of shock or confusion, like the conversation suddenly changed lanes with no signal. The phrase comes from baseball, where a throw from left field could catch people off guard.
Usage examples
"We were just chatting about movies, then Jamie asked if I had ever faked my own death. That came straight out of left field, dude."
"We were planning a quiet dinner when she announced she was moving to Japan in a week, completely out of left field, and we just blinked at her."
Where it comes from
Straight from baseball, where a long throw from the distant left field surprises a runner who never saw it coming. That unexpected angle made it the phrase for anything that lands from nowhere.
Editors of this term
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