Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2022 January 12

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January 12

Outside of something

The Valeriepieris circle on a Winkel tripel projection

Is there a difference in meaning between these two sentences?

• More people live inside this circle than outside it.
• More people live inside this circle than outside of it.

Thanks, cmɢʟee⎆τaʟκ 10:59, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

No, though the second one is slightly more explanatory. As with the old quip (usually credited to Groucho Marx), "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." --←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:06, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

There is some doubt that the joke originated with Groucho.^[1] While outside of  is synonymous with the preposition outside, it has a second meaning, which it does not share with outside: "except for", "aside from". The joke exploits this dual meaning.  --Lambiam 15:24, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

For consistency, you should probably use "of" twice, or omit it twice. --←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:48, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

"Inside of" is possible but not usual, and I wouldn't use it merely for consistency with "outside of". -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 20:53, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

"Inside of" sounds okay to these Canadian ears (although I prefer the more colourful "innards of", preferably with "outards of"). Clarityfiend (talk) 22:04, 12 January 2022 (UTC)

Thank you very much, everyone. I'll thus omit of in my redrawing of File:Valeriepieris_Circle.jpg. Cheers, cmɢʟee⎆τaʟκ 01:08, 13 January 2022 (UTC)

Resolved