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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

Am I off (out) in left field?

English answer:

Am I completely off base / off the mark / Have I completely misunderstood?

Added to glossary by Brie Vernier
May 4, 2006 11:58
18 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term

Am I off in left field?

English Law/Patents Law (general)
Am I off in left field?
This is said during a hearing by a judge after explaining a legal rule to an attorney.
What does this mean in simple English?
Thanks for your help!
Responses
4 +15 Am I completely off base?
3 +9 Am I wrong? / Have I missed the point?
4 "Am I making myself understood?"; "Am I too far from where you expect me to be?"

Discussion

Kevin Kelly May 4, 2006:
I think "out in left field" is the more common variant.

Responses

+15
3 mins
Selected

Am I completely off base?

Have I completely misunderstood [whatever is at issue here]?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2006-05-04 12:02:50 GMT)
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Another rendering: Is what I (the judge) just told you completely inapplicable to the situation at hand?
Peer comment(s):
agree Peter Skipp
4 mins
Thanks, Peter
agree Woodstock (X) : "Am ... off the mark?" is another option for a less American tone.
8 mins
Good one, thanks Woodstock
agree Suzan Hamer : I believe left field is a rather distant (from home base?) part of a baseball field, so it means am I really way out, am I completely wrong [in thinking this or that, or coming to this conclusion, etc.]]
9 mins
Exactly. Thanks, Suzan
agree airmailrpl : -
12 mins
Thanks, airmailrpl
agree Leny Vargas
17 mins
Thanks, lenybee
agree Derek Gill Franßen : ...also with Suzan. :-)
30 mins
Thanks, Derek
agree Karen Haggerty : Yes. I believe your explanation is better than the target term you provided, as the target term is yet another expression. The explanation provides information in "plain english". ;-)
33 mins
Thanks, Karen -- I know my target term is another baseball metaphor, but it is so widely used that I thought it just might get the point across.
agree NancyLynn : these baseball metaphors are indeed very common usage in N.A. - he's off in lefet field means he's nowhere near the correct assumption
1 hr
Thanks, Nancy
agree marybro : yes. I also like Woodstock's option "off the mark".
2 hrs
Yes, me too, thanks marybro
agree jccantrell : Nice touch, keeping the baseball analogy, too.
2 hrs
Thanks, JC
agree Jack Doughty : OK, it just didn't seem quite cricket to me. But I reckon you play a straight bat, and if you don't get caught in the slips, you could hit them for six and be not out at the end of the innings.
3 hrs
Thanks, Jack. See my note above to Karen, and I did offer other explanations. // Uh, ye, like that. : )
agree Richard Benham : I like your explanation, but as an Australian am often stumped by baseball metaphors, which can leave me on a sticky wicket.//I'd take too long to explain....
4 hrs
Thanks, Richard -- a sticky *what*?? ; )
agree conejo
4 hrs
Thanks, conejo
agree Alfa Trans (X)
5 hrs
Thanks, Marju
agree Raging Dreamer : One way of saying it.
9 hrs
Thanks, RD
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks Brie and all"
5 mins

"Am I making myself understood?"; "Am I too far from where you expect me to be?"

This is US English -- baseball terminology metamorphosed to daily life
Something went wrong...
+9
33 mins

Am I wrong? / Have I missed the point?

...just some other ways of putting it (in plain English).
:-)
Peer comment(s):
agree Hebat-Allah El Ashmawy
25 mins
I hope this means "thank you:" شُـكراً
agree NancyLynn
48 mins
agree Peter Skipp
1 hr
agree Suzan Hamer
1 hr
agree marybro : another possibility.
1 hr
agree Brie Vernier : Yep.
2 hrs
agree Jack Doughty
2 hrs
agree Richard Benham
3 hrs
agree Raging Dreamer
9 hrs
Something went wrong...
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