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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

far out

English translation: far out

17:35 May 1, 2021
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / far out
English term or phrase: far out
Dad used to always say "We're so far out we're back in again." So that's part of why we don't change.

Someone is running a traditional bakery. He is talking about using the same recipes since decades and why they didn't make much change.

Thanks in advance,
S.J
Canada
Local time: 18:20
Selected answer:far out
Explanation:
"far out" is an expression from the 1970s meaning "outside the norm" or "extraordinary"; it also means "wonderful". Hippies would say things like "that's far out, man" to mean it was amazing. "We're so far out we're back in again" means, roughly, "we're so old-fashioned we're back in fashion".

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Note added at 5 hrs (2021-05-01 22:37:13 GMT)
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I would say it's more that old recipes and types of bread have come back into fashion: the bakery recipes have never changed, and that's now seen as a good thing. Tradition is the new fashion.
Selected response from:

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:20
Grading comment
Thanks a lot.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +6far out
Charlotte Fleming
4 +3ahead of the curve
David Hollywood
3 +1atypical for being classic
Orkoyen (X)
3 -1unusual
Kiet Bach


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
atypical for being classic


Explanation:
Have been traditional to the point of being considered an outlier

Orkoyen (X)
United States
Local time: 18:20
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: yes, their traditional approach is back in fashion
16 hrs
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55 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
unusual


Explanation:
far out:
Unusual or eccentric; very advanced. for example, Painting blindfolded, that's far out, or Her child-rearing theories are far out.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/far--out#:~:text=with far-...


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Note added at 4 hrs (2021-05-01 21:41:25 GMT)
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I'm not sure what "back in again" means. Probably it means "back in the market again" because we are so unusual no one has been able to imitate us and take our market share away.

Kiet Bach
United States
Local time: 15:20
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Yvonne Gallagher: definitely not "eccentric" and nothing to do with taking market share away
16 hrs
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36 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +6
far out


Explanation:
"far out" is an expression from the 1970s meaning "outside the norm" or "extraordinary"; it also means "wonderful". Hippies would say things like "that's far out, man" to mean it was amazing. "We're so far out we're back in again" means, roughly, "we're so old-fashioned we're back in fashion".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 hrs (2021-05-01 22:37:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I would say it's more that old recipes and types of bread have come back into fashion: the bakery recipes have never changed, and that's now seen as a good thing. Tradition is the new fashion.

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:20
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32
Grading comment
Thanks a lot.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Could it mean, "We are advanced too much, and we have to get back a bit."

Asker: Because it is taken as pretext to not make any further changes to the bakery.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Orkoyen (X)
9 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Danilo Santana
1 hr
  -> Thank you!
agree  Sajad Neisi
13 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Helena Chavarria
15 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: they were ahead of their time but others have now caught on that traditional expertise is best
16 hrs
  -> Thanks, Yvonne!
agree  Eduardo Martins
1 day 19 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
ahead of the curve


Explanation:
I would say

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Note added at 9 hrs (2021-05-02 02:54:43 GMT)
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they were so ahead of their time that others have finally caught up and so they're back in fashion

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Note added at 9 hrs (2021-05-02 02:56:09 GMT)
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as others have realised they were far behind

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Note added at 9 hrs (2021-05-02 02:57:43 GMT)
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"and" rather than "as" (not consequential)

David Hollywood
Local time: 19:20
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 116

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: that's the way I understand it. Far out in this context means avant garde (in remaining traditional) though now "traditional" is back in fashion
7 hrs
agree  Charlotte Fleming
8 hrs
agree  philgoddard
10 hrs
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