English, baby!

space out

Date: Sep 18 2003

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“People think that I’m out of it a lot – like I’m on another planet or I space out a lot – but I really don’t.”
- Macy Gray, singer, talking about what people think of her.

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

not connected to reality, not paying attention to what’s happening, in a daze, out of touch with reality, not conscious of what’s going on, thinking of things that aren’t real

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

You can use “space out” to describe anyone who is not connected to what’s going on in the real world. A person can be spaced out for a couple of minutes, or for an entire life. Usually, people just space out for a short time, then they return to normal. People often space out when they’re very tired. For example, you might space out in math class on Friday if you stayed up very late on Thursday night.
Macy Gray uses two other expressions that have essentially the same meaning as “space out” – “out of it” and “on another planet.” Other similar expressions include “miles away,” “in a funk,” and “sleepwalking.”

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

””Look at Sarah. She’s totally spacing out right now. She’s not paying any attention to the teacher. If he asks her a question, she’s not going to have a clue what he’s talking about.”“

””Dude, I am so tired. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I’m going to be a wreck at work. I’ll probably just go there and then sit down and space out in front of the computer for 8 hours.”“

””You aren’t watching the movie are you? You’re just sitting there spacing out. If you don’t want to watch it, we can turn it off. I don’t care.”“

””Mandy, you have to listen to me. What I’m going to say is very important. Don’t space out while I’m talking.”“

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

“Space out” here means people think she is odd or eccentric, esp. when seemingly dazed or out of touch with what is happening around. In fact, there three phrases here used by Macy “out of it/on another planet/space out” express the similar meaning.
by Sherry (ShenZhen, China)
If someone isn’t fully conscious of what is happening around him/her, this is called ‘space out‘
by beyhan (Istanbul, Turkey)
I understood it’s when your mind is absent from this world, may be ‘cause you’re worried, ill, bored or whatever, even may be you’re drug. “Macy Gray is aware of what happening around her.” (people says that)
by Andrea (Antofagasta, Chile)
“space out” means that your mind are in things different from reality, most of the time.
by sergio (Medellin, Colombia)
If someone is spacing out, s/he is tripping, that is, s/he is acting out of sense or character.
by André (Sorocaba, Brazil)
To be in a daze.
by Sunny (GZ, China)
space out means “to be in another world”
by Rodrigue (Columbia, USA)
to stop paying atantion because you are very tired or you take drugs
by Kristina (Glendale, USA)
Brazilian people say: “Please, wake up!” to somebody when he/she is out of the conversation, like he/she space out at that moment and can’t hear what people around is talking to him/her.
by Sueli (Rio de Janeiro, Brasil)
Space out – means you’re always out of the situation and always lived in your own world. P.S. My boy friend said I always spaced out…
by Doris (Taipei, Taiwan)
“space out” means someone is far away the people. don’t along with others. don’t follow the habits of usual people. always be alone. to do what he want.
by Mary (DongGuan, China )
the slang means that she’s flying, that her opinion doesn’t make sense at all, that she talks too much and at the end she says lots of things that doesn’t make sense
by lucas (Cuiabá, Brazil)
I think “space out” means “to be separated with the world” or “keep silent just like disappeared”.
by Lily (Qingdao, China)
Not interested to talk, play with others. Somebody else feel she is isolated
by Sam (Hong Kong, China)
I think the meaning is that somebody is apart from the real life, is far from the normal status.
by Puff (SZ, China)
space out means: out there or being with people & your mind being completly out in another place.
by DeSiDeRaTa (Elfaiha, Kuwait)
means not following others, seems special with her unique style
by jingjing (Shanghai, China)
i think space out means weird and out of ordinary.
by Ivy (Malaysia)
space out: somehow abnormal, not in the mainstream
by rita (CD, China)
It means that something or someone is really different, or wierd, not like as others at all.
by Beckie (Taiwan, Juanli)
What one says and does is quite different from other people.
by julia (Shenzhen, China)
most of ur mind/action is different with others.
by eva (Jiangsu, China)
Doing things not in ordinary way
by Zhonghai (Beijing, China)
She did everything different from the common people.
by xiaohui (Jinhua, China)
I am thinking that space out can be like crazy people.
by Gloria Elena (Everglades City, USA)
behavior differently and not down-to-earth.
by yonghong (Huizhou, China)
to be space out means to be outside something or next of something.
by sunjuno (Rouiba, Algeria)
means being isolated, taken farther away, blocked from some place or knowing sth.
by Yak (Beijing, China)
If you say that someone “space out”, you think that he is completely isolated and out of group like floating alone in the space.
by Daisuke (Ann Arbor, U.S.)
Means Crazy. Like someone who is on drugs
by Rosana (São Paulo, Brazil)
I guess ‘space out’ may mean she took drugs or got drunk very often.
by lucia (Hong Kong, China)
I think it means – to lead anoter life.
by Kristin (Gyumri, Armenia)
I think it means different or separet
by Geni (Bloomington, U.S.)
I think she’s trying to say that she’s a regular girl with regular problems.
by Leonardo (São Caetano do Sul, Brazil)
I am of the opinion that the meaning of “space out” is to be very far away or quite different from something.
by Kain (Taipei, Taiwan)
space out means to keep apart, disunite.
by Emily (Qinhuangdao, China)
To set (things) apart from one another.
by Jose (Recife, Brazil)
I think it’s to give time to people or things with periods of time among them.
by Andrés (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
If I say, “I am space out my girlfriend,” it means that I distance myself from her because of bad relationship with her.
by Naoki (Akashi, Japan)