but no one could out you on the spot like

[Tinkerbell]

Suddenly, I remembered my promise to Jenna to tell Mrs. Casnoff about Elodie. I really didn’t want to have to find a vampire pony. I could use the cell phone Lara had given me to call Hecate, but no one could out you on the spot like Mrs. Casnoff, and I knew she’d have a bajillion questions. There would be stuttering, and lots of “ums,” and “I don’t knows,” and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with it. Then I remembered the sweet, shiny laptop in my room. “Lara, do you know Mrs. Casnoff’s e-mail address?”

 

[Tullia]

to out someone = to reveal someone's secret publically (often used in relation to revealing people are homosexual)

I've never heard the phrase "out you on the spot" like that before. I can't help wondering, though, if it's a typo for "put you on the spot" which is a common English phrase and makes sense in the context perfectly. "o" is right next to "p" on the keyboard...

I'll be interested to hear from other people on this one!

 

[Tinkerbell]

Dear Tullia, sorry but I dind't understand your last sentence. Do you want to more context?

 

[Tullia]

Dear Tullia, sorry but I dind't understand your last sentence. Do you want to more context?

Sorry. I just meant that I hope some other people comment, and that I think it will be interesting to see if they know of the phrase "out someone on the spot".

 

[Barb_D]

I agree that "put someone on the spot" makes more sense.

But anything you do "on the spot" means right away, so maybe it does mean "reveal your secret without any warning that she was going to ask a question that would reveal it? (I still prefer the "put" version.")

 

[Tullia]

Tinkerbell, are you able to go back to the author or publisher with questions like that? I know you are translating the book, so I assume you have a method of asking questions back. The more I look at it, the more I am convinced it must be a typo - but I'd hate to be wrong when it matters so much.

 

[Tinkerbell]

Unfortunatelly I have no such a chance. But it must be a typo, as you said. Yet it's no matter so much, I understand the meaning and translated it nicely. Thank you again. :-D

 

[riquecohen]

To "out you on the spot" is perfectly understandable in the context that is presented, Why assume that it´s a typo?

 

[Tullia]

Given that the speaker is talking about having a private phone conversation with her, it seems very unlikely Mrs. Casnoff would be able to "out" the narrator (to whom, if there's only two of them on the phone?). However the fact that she will have "a bajillion questions" certainly sounds a lot more like being "put on the spot" - and makes the narrator's decision to email instead of telephoning a lot more plausible, no?