"out of the woods"

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by marciobarbalho

COCA:

021 entries for 'out of the wood'
474 entries for 'out of the woods'

Yes, but most of those entries are not at all related to the idiom, "the hunters chased the bear out of the woods" for example or "the soldier staggered out of the wood". It's pretty much the same story with the BNC.

[Offroad]

Originally Posted by bhaisahab

Yes, but most of those entries are not at all related to the idiom, "the hunters chased the bear out of the woods" for example or "the soldier staggered out of the wood". It's pretty much the same story with the BNC.

Yes, I noticed that when I did the searchinh, I just could not tell how many of them were related to the idiom.

My point is... they are both possible.

BNC has only one entry for wood (no s), and it is related to the idiom, too.

[PROESL]

Originally Posted by kelvin123

Is the idiom "out of the woods" the same as "out of the wood".

I would like to know whether the "s" is essential.
thanks

I know this expression as "out of the woods". So, yes, to me the "s" is essential. I don't believe I've heard "out of the wood" in USA American English.

woods - lots of trees - forest-like - forest

wood - I would just use this to speak building things or wood that one burns in a fireplace or a campfire.

out of the woods - out of trouble, free from a difficult situation
out of the wood -

[PROESL]

Originally Posted by marciobarbalho

Yes, I noticed that when I did the searchinh, I just could not tell how many of them were related to the idiom.

My point is... they are both possible.

BNC has only one entry for wood (no s), and it is related to the idiom, too.

out of the woods: Information from Answers.com

The British usage is out of the wood.

Out of difficulties, danger or trouble, as in We're through the worst of the recession--we're out of the woods now, or That pneumonia was serious, but Charles is finally out of the woods. This expression, alluding to having been lost in a forest, dates from Roman times; it was first recorded in English in 1792.The British usage is out of the wood.

[Offroad]

I guess some people in the US also use it with no 's'.

I found many entries on COCA, so it is very likely Americans use it in the same way Britons do.

[Raymott]

Originally Posted by marciobarbalho

I guess some people in the US also use it with no 's'.

I found many entries on COCA, so it is very likely Americans use it in the same way Britons do.

No, I think you're still missing the point.
You are picking up entries from lines like "The carpenter took the nail out of the wood".
The fact that you found many entries on COCA is no evidence at all that Americans use "out of the wood" in the same way as Britons do for the metaphor "out of the woods", especially given that all Americans on the thread have said they say "out of the woods" for this idiom.

[Offroad]

Alright. I give up. 'out of the wood' is chiefly BrE.

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by PROESL

I know this expression as "out of the woods". So, yes, to me the "s" is essential. I don't believe I've heard "out of the wood" in USA American English.

woods - lots of trees - forest-like - forest

wood - I would just use this to speak building things or wood that one burns in a fireplace or a campfire.

out of the woods - out of trouble, free from a difficult situation
out of the wood -

Do you not have "a wood" a small forest, in AmE?

[Offroad]

I believe they have:

from the AHDEL:

wood:
a. A dense growth of trees or underbrush covering a relatively small or confined area. Often used in the plural.
b. A forest. Often used in the plural.

[Searching for language]

Originally Posted by bhaisahab

E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. Out of the Wood. “You are not out of the wood yet,” not yet out of danger. “Don’t shout till you are out of the wood,” do not think yourself safe till you are quite clear of the threatened danger. When freebooters were masters of the forests no traveller was safe till he had got clear of their hunting ground.

I think I'll stick to what we generally use in at least the 20th. century, if not the 21st!