phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Mind out

Posted by James Briggs on March 16, 2007

In Reply to: Mind out posted by Brian from Shawnee on March 16, 2007

: : Can anyone tell me the origin of the phrase mind out. It sounds strange in English - is it of Germanic origin?

: I've heard of "mined out" which means all of a certain mineral or ore has been removed from a mine. What does "mind out" mean?

'Mind out' is not uncommon in the UK. It's used in the sense of 'mind out where you're going'. It's another way of saying 'watch out where you're going'. It comes from the 14C use of the verb in the sense of 'give heed to' (Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology). The German equivalent of 'pass auf' relates more closely to the 'watch out' version.

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.