out of order

out of order idiom
  1. Not functioning well, not operating properly or at all, as in The oil burner is out of order again. [Mid-1500s]
  2. Unsuitable, inappropriate, as in Her comments about the management were out of order. Also see out of line, def. 1.
  3. Not following parliamentary procedure, as in The chair called him out of order.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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