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Old 08-Nov-2006, 10:05
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Default Hi, first time ever to post question. PLS help

Hi evryone.
This is the first time I'm posting a question. Could someone please help me with the following sentence:

"It also offends against the idea that we work in in a meritocracy, where talent will out, eventually. In true life, of course, talent does not always out."

I don't get the meaning of the word 'out' in these sentences. I've been going through the dictionary but just can't match an explanation to it.

Thanks in advanced for your help.
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Old 08-Nov-2006, 10:22
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Default Re: Hi, first time ever to post question. PLS help

"Out" is being used here as a verb, meaning be made known; be disclosed or revealed. I've most often heard it used in the sentence "the truth will out".

(The second sentence, "
In true life, of course, talent does not always out", appears to be incorrect. I'm not sure that you can use the verb "do" as an auxilliary with "out".)

By the way, I recommend this dictionary site:

OneLook Dictionary Search

It searches for definitions in several online dictionaries.




Last edited by boothling; 08-Nov-2006 at 10:26. Reason: added something
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Old 08-Nov-2006, 10:51
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Default Re: Hi, first time ever to post question. PLS help

Thanks for your quick reponse and explanation.

I appreciate it.
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Old 09-Nov-2006, 10:35
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Default Re: Hi, first time ever to post question. PLS help

There's another verbal usage of out, but transitive. It means 'to reveal something that the object wanted to keep secret'. I first heard it used in the '70s, of homosexuals. But it can be used now in any non-sexual context as well:

He wanted to keep the fact that he smoked a secret from his parents, but his school discovered and outed him.

b

PS -
This isn't relevant to your original question. I just thought I'd stretch your vocabulary a bit.
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