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Fri 1 Jan, 2016 10:28 pm
Hi?
This is a casual conversation between a man and a woman.
Not much context, I think, is needed,
so I'll just cut to the chase.
When asked what she was gonna do during a Christmas holiday,
she answered,
"I have to go visit my parents out in Jersey."
If she had said, 'visit my parents in Jersey'
I wouldn't have cared at all, but 'out' in the middle is rather puzzling.
Wondering if 'visit someone out' is an idiom or not,
I looked up the dictionary in vain.
Then, the phrase 'out in Jersey' is something that matters, I assume.
I pondered to see what it is to say 'out in somewhere',
like, 'out in New York' , 'out in Texas' or something like that.
The only thing I can come up with is that
'out' probably means 'outside'.
So, 'out in New York' is, maybe,
'outskirts of New York' or 'outside of New York'.
Did I make a correct guess?
Was it close?
I'd appreciate your comment.
@SMickey,
I think you made a bad guess. "Out in" is a reasonably common construction meaning exactly the same as "in Jersey". Had she meant outside of Jersey, I'm sure she would have said so.
@SMickey,
The difference in nuance between "in" and "out in" seems to me to be that "out in" suggests that the speaker either considers NJ to be a fairly far away from her present location. "Out in the sticks" is a common expression, too.
@FBM,
It does seem to suggest that. Somehow, it seems to have the same flavor as "over by Tulsa".
@roger,
Yeah, that sounds about right, too.
@roger,
'Out' and 'In' are, on the surface, the opposite,
so I figured that makes little sense.
It's surprising to know it's a reasonably common construction.
Thank you Roger.
@FBM,
The expression 'out in the sticks' shows me a hut in a very remote place. Aha.
Now I can clearly see what that is. Thank you.
@SMickey,
No prob. "Out in the sticks" is going to be like 깡촌, I think. ^^
@saab,
The very same! Or, "out in the boonies."
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