to farm out

[ostap77]

If I didn't want to do the dishes, could I say I'm framing out doing the dishes to my brother?

 

[bhaisahab]

It dosn't sound very natural to me.

 

[ostap77]

How would you use 'to farm out' in context?

 

[Tdol]

The company has farmed out many of its services to outside companies.

 

[ostap77]

Can I farm out things I don't wan to do to other people?

 

[Raymott]

Can I farm out things I don't wan to do to other people?

Yes, but I wouldn't use it for a one time activity, as in your dishes example. I suppose it's similar to outsourcing. It's part of a contract. If
doing the dishes was your regular chore, and you arranged for your brother to do it in future in exchange for a small allowance, you could almost use the term in fun. If your job was mowing the lawn, you could farm that out to a lawn mowing service. But I wouldn't use the term for doing that a single time. You could farm out your school assignments to a web-based homework-doing service.

 

[probus]

I think "farm out" is the older usage. More contemporary is "outsource."

In terms of connotation "outsource" is far more international. In the gentler times of a few decades ago, firms might "farm out" some function to a more specialized local firm. Nowadays, when firms outsource a function, they typically send it a long way away, very often to India.

 

[charliedeut]

And it is mostly done for economic reasons (cheaper workforce).