What does 'out in' mean in phrase 'to be out in the woods'?

[Maxno]

What does "out in" mean in phrazes like "to be out in the woods", "to live out in the country", etc. Does it mean to be out of big sity? Then what means out in LA (RHCP album's name) - LA could hardly be thought of as a little city :)

P.S. Please don't hesitate to point at my grammar mistakes in this post and next ones if there are some.

[Alan]

Hi,

'Out' simply means away from where other people are at that moment. It suggests that this is the place where you live or are staying now very much in contrast to the place or places where other people live - the people you are talking to at that time.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Maxno]

OK It is understood if I am talking to somebody. For example if being in the country I am talking to some person who is in the big city (by the way if I am in the city talking to the person being in the country would it be admissible for me to say "I am out in the city"?) But in below joke nobody is talking to anybody and there is no clue where other people may be and whether they exist at all :) :

"Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy takes out his phone and calls the emergency services.

He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?"

In this case - what sence does out make?

[Conchita]

In your joke, 'out' has the sense of (in a direction) away from the inside or from the starting point.

[Maxno]

[Alan]

This is getting a bit too complicated!

Imagine you have just answered the phone and the caller wants to talk to Fred, who's in the garden. Your reply could be: