I'm happy to get this burden 'out of' my chest

[HaraKiriBlade]

Hi,

This sentence was shown in my textbook as an example of linguistic creativity displayed by adult learners of English.

I know the correct way to say it is to get the burden 'off' my chest, but I'm wondering, as one of many 'adults' learning English as a second language, why getting the burden 'out of' my chest is not the correct usage.

It seems that there's a subtle nuance difference of sort between 'out of' and 'off'. Could anyone explain this for me?

- HKB

[Anglika]

I have never seen "out of" my chest used in this way. It seems to be "creative" in that the person using it has failed to understand "off my chest"as an idiom.

As to the difference - "out of" - taken from the inside of something; "off" - taken from the surface of something.