odd man out

American  

Or odd-man-out

noun

1. a method of selecting or eliminating a person from a group, as by matching coins, especially in preparation for playing a game.

2. the person so selected or eliminated.

3. a game consisting of this method.

4. outsider.

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odd man out Idioms  

1. A person who is left out of a group for some reason, as in The invitation was for couples only, so Jane was odd man out . [Mid-1800s]

2. Something or someone who differs markedly from the others in a group, as in Among all those ranch-style houses, their Victorian was odd man out . [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of odd man out

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

When Chishiya’s partner loses his nerve, he’s left as the odd man out, relying on his insouciant swagger to exacerbate the other characters’ insecurities.

From Salon

However, he became the odd man out in the team’s bullpen after the Dodgers’ recent signings of Yates and left-hander Tanner Scott.

From Los Angeles Times

Do you see yourself as the odd man out in that group?

From Los Angeles Times

Richard Witsoe said he sometimes feels like the odd man out as one of two white men who live in this subsidized seniors building of about 300 residents.

From Los Angeles Times

I can hear the faint creaking of floorboards in my house yet when I’m in the middle of a robust three-way conversation, I feel like the odd man out.

From Salon

Related Words

• bohemian
• dissenter
• dropout
• eccentric
• freak
• oddball
• outsider
• weirdo