Why don't you stay here for another two weeks?

I don't want to outstay my welcome.

My comments:

To outdo is to do more, go further and beyond.

For example, Asian economies have been outdoing Western economies for many years, statistically speaking at least.

Similarly, to outgrow your coat is to grow too big for that coat – got to buy a larger one or go on diet.

To outperform your opponent, for example, is to do better than your opponent on that particular occasion.

To outlive someone, then, is to live longer than them, etc and so forth.

To outstay your welcome?

Can you guess?

Yes, you as a guest do not want to stay in their house for too long lest you’re no longer welcome.

In other words, you don’t stay longer than they want you to.

All good graceful guests and their gracious hosts know that.

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Reinventing the wheel

Short leash?

Ceremonial post

Go to Zhang Xin's column

本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網立場無關。歡迎大家討論學術問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發布一切違反國家現行法律法規的內容。

About the author:

Zhang Xin（張欣） has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.