Q Is saying “out loud” rather than “aloud” incorrect? It sounds less formal, but I feel like I hear it all the time in both formal and informal contexts. – L.W., Columbia, Tenn.
A: “Out loud” was once widely decried as an error for “aloud,” and it is still sometimes described as a colloquialism to be avoided in formal writing. Its first recorded use was in the early 19th century, as found in an 1821 letter by Maria Edgeworth: “Lord Andover in the presence of Lord and Lady Suffolk and speaking out loud.”
Its heyday as an object of criticism came about a hundred years later, when American commentators routinely prescribed against it in their books. Its use continued to be common, however, and its notoriety eventually diminished. It now survives as a usage topic chiefly in composition textbooks for high school and college students.
Our abundant written evidence for “out loud” shows clearly that it is not a colloquialism. We would agree that “aloud” is more likely in solemn writing, but in general use the two terms are essentially interchangeable. A distinctive and exclusive use of “out loud” is in the idiom “for crying out loud!” It is also preferred to “aloud” following the verb “laugh.”
Q How did the expression “pushing the envelope” come about? – T.C., Lynnwood, Wash.
A: “Pushing the envelope,” which means “testing the outermost limits,” is a technological phrase popularized by Tom Wolfe in his 1979 best seller “The Right Stuff.”
In this look at the development of the U.S. space program, the expression “push the envelope” was used by test pilots and engineers as they tested the performance of aircraft. “Envelope” is a term used in many mathematical, technical and medical areas, and refers to a three-dimensional conception of a set of performance limits.
If, for example, the “performance envelope” of an aircraft indicates that it should not be flown above a certain speed, then flying it above that speed is “pushing the envelope,” something that test pilots may be required to do in order to find out the aircraft’s true limits.
The popularity of Wolfe’s book brought “push the envelope” into widespread use, and it can now refer to testing the limits of almost anything, from mechanics to morals to public standards of civility.
Q My daughter often will use the phrase “without rhyme or reason.” What’s the story behind that saying? – T.J., Tampa, Fla.
A: “Rhyme or reason” (meaning “good sense or reason”) first appeared in print in the 15th century.
It is likely that the origins of the phrase owe something to bad poetry. Because a piece of badly rhymed verse is at best distracting and at worst nonsensical, French speakers said such poor poetry was “sans rime ni raison”: literally, “without rhyme or reason.” Many educated English speakers of past centuries were also fluent in French, and they simply borrowed the translated version of the phrase into their native tongue. It must have been a good idea, since “rhyme or reason” (and its negative version, “neither rhyme nor reason”) still remain popular today.
This column was prepared by the editors of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition.
Readers may send questions to Merriam-Webster’s Wordwatch, P.O. Box 281, 47 Federal St., Springfield, Mass. 01102.
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