English Idiom (Out of the box)

Status
Not open for further replies.

khylida

New member
Joined
Dec 27, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
English
Home Country
Cambodia
Current Location
Cambodia
Dear Everyone,

I'm from Cambodia. I'm studying English.
Can anyone help me to explain about this word "out of the box"

Thank in advanced.
Lida
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Welcome to the forum, khylida. :hi:

You will need to give us more context - at least a whole sentence.
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
If something works out of the box, you don't have to set it up or change the settings, etc. You'll see it used with computers and gadgets- you can literally take them out of the box (unpack them) and start using them.
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
:up: Sometimes This usage is abbreviated to OOTB. Don't confuse this with 'thinking outside the box' (thinking iconoclastically/laterally/creatively/along non-traditional lines).

b
 

Skeptik

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
There are multiple meanings:

A product can be sold "out of the box". It is unwrapped. (Literal)

Salesmen sometimes use the term to explain that the buyer does not have to do anything. (This is rarely used and confusing, maybe intentionally.)
"It works out of the box"
"It's an out of the box experience" meaning that everything has been done for you.


"Thinking outside the box" means to have a creative and original idea.
 

Psiconaut

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2012
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Spanish
Home Country
Spain
Current Location
Spain
I don't know if he is asking this for Rihanna's lyrics (Out of box, out of line).

I've always thought that it means that you do something not expected.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top