# Origin of "beside oneself" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243 "2006-01-10T01:02:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PoetHaiku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@PoetHaiku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoetHaiku)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/1 "2006-01-10T01:02:50Z")
What is the etymology of the phrase “beside oneself”, as in the statement, “When George heard that Phyllis was baking chocolate-chip cookies, he was beside himself with glee?” 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/2 "2006-01-10T01:09:50Z")
[Link](http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/3/messages/447.html) I’m sure there are many variations on this theme. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/3 "2006-01-10T01:11:36Z")
It apparently originated in the 1300’s when the word beside had a different meaning than it does today. From another board (matches with other sources): “Beside” has an obsolete sense meaning outside of or away from. It was current in the 14th through 17th centuries. One subset of these older meaning survices, in the form “beside oneself,” meaning not one’s self, not in the usual mental condition. The form dates to the late-15th century. [http://p098.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm17.showMessage?topicID=521.topic](http://p098.ezboard.com/fwordoriginsorgfrm17.showMessage?topicID=521.topic) ---
**Author:** ![PoetHaiku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@PoetHaiku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoetHaiku)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/4 "2006-01-10T01:17:16Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > [Link](http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/3/messages/447.html) > > I’m sure there are many variations on this theme. Thank you, I had quite forgotten about the Greek word Ecstasis. I am beginning to feel more comfortable, now. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/5 "2006-01-10T01:49:54Z")
> [@PoetHaiku](#): > > Thank you, I had quite forgotten about the Greek word Ecstasis. I am beginning to feel more comfortable, now. Welcome, Poet. I’ve changed your thread title to be more descriptive. That gets more replies. I’d be more comfortable if you chose a different color scheme for your type. That one irritates. Thanks. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/6 "2006-01-10T02:01:38Z")
Ahh, so the transports of ecstasy leave us beside ourselves. Possibly with a grape. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PoetHaiku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@PoetHaiku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoetHaiku)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/7 "2006-01-10T02:12:34Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Welcome, Poet. > > I’ve changed your thread title to be more descriptive. That gets more replies. > > I’d be more comfortable if you chose a different color scheme for your type. That one irritates. > > Thanks. > > **samclem** GQ moderator Thank you, SamClem for your remarks. For future postings I will limit my use of color, however drab that may render my question. ---
**Author:** ![PoetHaiku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@PoetHaiku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoetHaiku)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/8 "2006-01-10T02:15:09Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Ahh, so the transports of ecstasy leave us beside ourselves. > Possibly with a grape. 😉 Squink, your comment gives me pause, why were it not for the grape many a writer would not be known. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/9 "2006-01-10T02:22:13Z")
> [@PoetHaiku](#): > > Thank you, SamClem for your remarks. For future postings I will limit my use of color, however drab that may render my question. Use any color you chose. That pale yellow? and things like it cause many a poster eyestrain to read. BTW, I just got back from Arlington, seeing the parents. Born and raised there. Your restraint in registering in 2002 but not posting until 2006 is remarkable. ---
**Author:** ![PoetHaiku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@PoetHaiku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoetHaiku)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/10 "2006-01-10T02:29:49Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Use any color you chose. That pale yellow? and things like it cause many a poster eyestrain to read. > > BTW, I just got back from Arlington, seeing the parents. Born and raised there. > > Your restraint in registering in 2002 but not posting until 2006 is remarkable. It was not restraint. I have been an idea voyeur for thse past few years. Now, I trying to find my voice. ---
**Author:** ![PoetHaiku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@PoetHaiku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoetHaiku)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/11 "2006-01-10T02:30:55Z")
> [@PoetHaiku](#): > > It was not restraint. I have been an idea voyeur for thse past few years. Now, I trying to find my voice. Perhaps I should try spelling correctly. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/12 "2006-01-10T05:52:38Z")
I always think of the Indian-American scientist in _Short Circuit_, saying, “I am standing here beside myself.” I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/13 "2006-01-10T07:45:53Z")
> [@PoetHaiku](#): > > Squink, your comment gives me pause, why were it not for the grape many a writer would not be known. S’truth. We’re not just talking about dionysian scribes from Omar Khayyam to Bukowski, either: Gutenberg’s revolutionary invention was a slightly-modified winepress. > [@Some boozer](#): > > Gutenmorg with his cromagnom charter, tintingfast and great primer must once for omniboss step rubrickredd out of the wordpress else is there no virtue more in alcohoran. For that (the rapt one warns) is what papyr is meed of, made of, hides and hints and misses in prints. Till ye finally (though not yet endlike) meet with the acquaintance of Mister Typus, Mistress Tope and all the little typtopies. Fillstup. So you need hardly spell me how every word will be bound over to carry three score and ten toptypsical readings throughout the book of Doublends Jined (may his forehead be darkened with mud who would sunder!) till Daleth, mahomahouma, who oped it closeth thereof the. Dor. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-beside-oneself/339243/14 "2006-01-10T12:15:28Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I always think of the Indian-American scientist in _Short Circuit_, saying, “I am standing here beside myself.” I love it. “get out of the city.”