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out of pocket

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out of pocket

1. Lacking money; also, having suffered a financial loss, as in We can't go; I'm out of pocket right now. William Congreve had it in The Old Bachelor (1693): "But egad, I'm a little out of pocket at present." [Late 1600s]

2. Referring to actual money spent, as in I had to pay the hotel bill out of pocket, but I know I'll be reimbursed. This expression sometimes occurs as a hyphenated adjective mainly in the phrase out-of-pocket expenses, as in My out-of-pocket expenses for business travel amounted to more than a thousand dollars. [Late 1800s]

See also: of, out, pocket

out of pocket

1. mod. out from under someone’s control; not manageable. The guy is wild. Completely out of pocket.

2. mod. [of expenses] small, incidental, not charged on a credit card. I was not able to get my out of pocket expenses reimbursed.

3. mod. out of the office; away from one’s desk; unavailable. (Alluding to a pager or cell phone being out of the user’s pocket, making the user unavailable.) Sorry. I was out of pocket when you called.

See also: of, out, pocket

out of pocket

1. Out of one's own resources: fees paid out of pocket.

2. Without funds or assets: a traveler who was caught out of pocket.

3. In a state of having experienced a loss, especially a financial one.

See also: of, out, pocket