OUT OF POCKET

Someone who is left with less money than they should have or expected to have, or who loses money, might be described as “out of pocket.”

 This phrase apparently dates from the 1600s [1].

 Examples of use:

 “Care workers forced to cut short home visits or be left out of pocket”

 “A summer festival may be cancelled indefinitely after it left the city council almost £500,000 out of pocket, it has emerged.”

 “She is currently out of pocket by almost £2,000 and police say it is unlikely that the cash will be recovered.”


 Out-of-pocket expenses are generally paid for in cash rather than being included in a budget and are often reimbursed.

 e.g. “Customers of O2 will be able to claim for any out-of-pocket expenses that resulted from being without their phone, according to consumer expert Helen Dewdney.”


 [1] “out of pocket” In The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, by Christine Ammer. 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 2013.

 Photo credit: Petras Gagilas