What Does ‘Scope Out’ Mean?

Day two in country #46.

What’s on the agenda?

A local history museum… a local cafe… and a drive outside the city to explore a picturesque lake.

Unfortunately, it’s just too hot to do what I usually do in a new place, which is walk around and get lost.

SCOPE

Yesterday, I asked you for more words containing the root word “scope.”

Here are the most common: kaleidoscope, periscope, microscope and stethoscope.

If you want to know what any of them mean, just do a Google image search and you’ll see a picture (much better than looking up the definition or translation!).

And here’s one more you can use in conversation.

It’s a phrasal verb.

See if you can understand its meaning from the story.

SCOPE OUT

Last night at dinner, my Macedonian hosts, and Vig Village members, asked me how I chose to live in Prague.

I told them first I decided I wanted to live in Europe.

But I wasn’t 100% sure if I would like Prague.

So before I decided to move there, I went for one month just to scope it out.

Obviously, I liked it, because I’ve been there off and on since 2004.

And that’s what “scope out” means — to go and have a look before deciding.

Cheers,
Mr. Vig

P.S.

One observant reader pointed out that “scope” is an Atomic Word.

But the noun has a different meaning.

To learn the difference and how to use it correctly, listen to today’s Atomic Homework Premium.

Not yet a member?

Go here to join.