Copyright 2004-2021 Sally Jennings at Speak-Read-Write.com
There are all kinds of "outs" in this, some are part of phrasal verbs, some are prepositions, and some are adjectives. Can you figure out(!) which ones are which?
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“I am not cut out for this,” he complained loudly, tightening his tie around his collar as he came through the doorway. “I really resent this fancy dress-up stuff. I don’t want to go out.”
“Look out,” his wife cried, “you just stepped on the peas the baby spilled at dinner.”
“See,” he whispered, carefully wiping his shoe, “I told you it wouldn’t work out, bringing in that niece of yours as a babysitter. Now how are we going to get out of this one? Your sister will be really put out if we don’t ask her girl back again.”
“I know, I know,” she muttered. “But if she finds out we aren’t going to ask her back, I’m in a lot of trouble,” she said as she turned out the kitchen light and stepped onto the porch.
“All we can hope for is that she meets somebody to share a house with and moves out,” he said as he opened the car door.
“You know her mother would be only too glad to clean out her basement and put in a suite for her, though. If she could work it out financially,” she reminded him as the car backed out of the garage.
“If it’s cheaper, knowing your sister, I’m sure she’ll figure out a way,” he added.
“Watch out!” she yelled. But it was too late, the tricycle wheel lay flattened in the driveway.
“Okay, so now you’ve wiped out twice this evening,” she sighed. “ Soon we will run out of riding toys, and then what?”
“And who, may I ask, left it out?” he said, “ I’m going to point out again that I’m not up to this tonight. I’m just too worn out.”
“But they would all be so disappointed if you didn’t come out to this with me, you know that, dear” she pouted as she slipped a lipstick out of her purse. “If we want to stand out in this crowd, we have to attend regularly and support them. They expect everyone to turn out.”
Makeup adjusted, she peered out the window and realized they were back in the garage. “What...?”
“Will you just chill out,” he said, “and please stay put. I’ll just be a sec. I forgot to let the cat out, and you know she isn't box-trained yet.” He slammed the car door.
“Oh,” she fretted, looking in the mirror again, “my lips have broken out.” Then she looked at her watch again, and moaned, “By the time we get out of here all the action will be over. And all I wanted was a nice night out.”
to break out
to chill out
to clean out
to come out (to some event)
to be cut out for (something)
to figure out
to find out
to get out of
to go out
to leave out
to look out
to move out
to peer out
to point out
to be put out
to put out
to run out of
to stand out
to turn out (=to turn off)
to turn out (to/for an event)
to watch out
to wipe out
to work out
to be worn out
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