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Phrase: On the side
If you’ve been to a restaurant in Canada, you may have heard someone order a salad with dressing on the side.
They did that because they are watching their weight and prefer to add it to their own taste.
That’s one usage of today’s phrase on the side.
There are a few more.
Having something on the side usually means extra, in addition, or separate from what we already have.
In Japan, until very recently, most companies prevented their employees from moonlighting or having a second job.
I always thought it was unnecessary because the Japanese traditionally work such long hours that they probably wouldn’t have enough time or energy to work on the side.
These days though, some companies are starting to allow their employees to have a side hustle or work on the side.
I suppose if a person earns money on the side, their primary employer doesn’t have to increase their salary.
Now, the following meaning of on the side is a secret.
Well, I’m not saying the meaning is secret; I’m saying another meaning of on the side can be that something is secret.
A woman may be happily married with a few children but have an intimate relationship with a handsome young stud on the side.
In addition to her lawfully wedded husband, she does the horizontal mambo with someone else.
Hey, if men can have a little honey on the side, why can’t women?
I’m willing to bet it happens more than you may think.
As they say, it takes two to tango.
Having something on the side usually means extra, in addition, or separate from what we already have.
Whether it’s salad dressing, a second job or a friendly young blond, it may or may not be secret, but it can be on the side.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post is understandable by someone with at least a 7th-grade education (age 12).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 72.
The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.