OUT IN THE BLUE

Posted by Smokey Stover on October 24, 2006

In Reply to: OUT IN THE BLUE posted by Yuri on October 24, 2006

: Dear experts,

: Is OUT IN THE BLUE only used to mean 'under the surface of the sea' and not 'on the surface':

: Bearded Scorpionfish can be found around the deeper coral blocks. With a little luck you can see Eagle Rays and Mantas cruising out in the blue.

: Thank you,
: Yuri

It generally means under the surface, when it's a question of the sea, and "out in the blue" in this meaning is not unusual. But something that often surfaced could be said to be "out in the blue" so long as it is an ocean creature, since "out in the blue" means "out in the ocean" or "out in the sea".

It can also be used in reference to the blue sky, the sky as it is when the sun is shining. "Out in the blue" can be used to mean "out there," somewhere "out in the wild blue yonder," out somewhere in the air (that is, the sky).

"Out OF the blue" also refers to blue as all the area suggested by the sky, namely, everywhere, anywhere, nowhere. THere is a lot of discussion of this term in the Archives. Type in "out of the blue" in the Search Box at the top of the previous page. It means "completely unexpected," as though "out of nowhere."
SS