"in the chair" and "out of the chair"

Guest   Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:08 pm GMT
Why do we say "in the chair" and "out of the chair"? Shouldn't that be "on the chair" and "off the chair", as there's no inside to a chair, so it's not possible for one to be in it.
Jim   Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:36 pm GMT
If it's an arm-chair, it's kind of insidish.
Travis   Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:02 pm GMT
Actually, you can say "off the chair", which is synonymous with "out of the chair". Similarly, "on the chair" is also valid, but it is *not* synonymous with "in the chair"; rather, "on the chair" means that someone is standing on top of a chair or something has been placed upon a chair. (You generally do not say that some inanimate object is "in the chair".)