What does ‘out of pocket’ mean? The Gen Z slang usage, explained

If you were born before 1997 then you probably think you know what the phrase “out of pocket” means, but once again Gen Z is here to expose just how many grey hairs you really have. 

“Out of pocket,” for those who are interested in what the dictionary has to say, is defined as the transfer of on-hand cash from one person or entity to another, according to the Merriam-Webster, Cambridge, and Oxford dictionaries. Examples include “he paid for the bill out-of-pocket” or “she paid out-of-pocket instead of putting it on a credit card.”

In the workplace setting, “out of pocket” is often used as slang in lieu of “out of office.” On any given day you could pay for lunch “out of pocket” and then also be “out of pocket” between 2pm and 3pm for a doctor’s appointment.

However, the young denizens of the world have now commandeered this phrase and replaced it with something a little more lively. So, before you start saying you’ll be out of pocket next Friday, know that your Gen Z co-workers are likely snickering at the thought of you getting up to no good.

What does “out of pocket” mean to Gen Z?

In a viral video that has amassed nearly 2 million views, TikTok user @notahand poked fun at his boss for using the phrase “out of pocket” to describe being out of the office for a brief period of time. As he puts it, his boss sometimes sends emails communicating with her team that she will be “out of pocket” for, say, a doctor’s appointment. To Gen Z, she might as well have said she’ll be terrorizing her doctor’s office or pantsing random strangers on the street.

See, according to Gen Z, “out of pocket” means doing something out of character or unacceptable. Urban Dictionary describes it as “to say something too far or someone that acts so goofy that no definition can express.”

Being “out of pocket” can look like insulting your co-worker for no reason, revealing a secret you promised to keep hidden, or photocopying your butt on the workplace printer. The possibilities for being out of pocket are endless.

Because this is a relatively new spin on the popular phrase, TikTok users not born between 1997 and 2012 are experiencing communal moments of silence for their bygone youth. One day you’re hip and cool, finally using “slaps” correctly in a sentence, and then just like that you’re forced to accept those random stomach aches after In-N-Out Burger weren’t so random after all. You have heartburn. You’re old.