Check out today’s Teatime Titbit: Tuesday Teaser – OUT
The prefix ‘OUT’ is a clever bit of grammar, you stick it the front of a verb and viola you get the added meaning of ‘more, greater, better, further, longer etc.’
Here’s an e.g. to bid = to offer to pay a particular price for something, especially at an auction. + ‘OUT’ = outbid somebody (for something) = to offer more money than somebody else in order to buy something.
In today’s little Tuesday brain-teaser, just place one of the following verbs in the correct gap and DON’T forget the grammar!!!!!!! Good luck
A) to bid B) to pace/(outstrip) C) to sell D) to class E) to number F) to wit/(outsmart) G) to perform
N.B. the words in brackets are synonyms.
1. We are now out …………………. all our competitors hands-down. (easily and without a doubt)
2. In terms of design our cars were totally out…………………. by their Italian competitors. (be much better)
3. Shit, I missed out – somebody out…………………. me at the last minute.
4. Somehow he always manages to out…………………. his opponents. (defeat by doing sth clever)
5. In this profession, women out …………………. men by two to one.
6. The company has consistently out …………………. its larger rivals.(achieved better results)
7. Demand is out…………………. production. (rising faster than)
Here are the answers:
1) outselling 2) outclassed 3) outbid 4) outwit or outsmart 5) outnumber 6) outperformed 7) outpacing or outstripping