dirtside adv.

on or to the surface of a planet (as opposed to in space)

  • 1953 R. A. Heinlein Starman Jones 64 Robert A. Heinlein bibliography

    If you mess it up, I'll leave you dirtside and raise without you. Let me see you walk again.

  • 1956 R. A. Heinlein Double Star in Astounding Science Fiction Feb. 10/1 page image Robert A. Heinlein bibliography

    If a man walks in dressed like a hick and acting as if he owned the place, he’s a spaceman. It is a logical necessity. His profession makes him feel like boss of all creation; when he sets foot dirtside he is slumming among the peasants.

  • 1964 β€˜L. J. Stecher, Jr.’ The Diogenes Planet in Worlds of If Nov. 87/2 page image L. J. Stecher, Jr. Joseph Wesley bibliography

    Behave yourselves dirtside this trip. No tricks, no stealing, no lies. Not on the Diogenes Planet. For the sake of all of us, keep your noses entirely clean.

  • 1986 D. Brin & G. Benford Heart of the Comet 90 David Brin Gregory Benford bibliography

    Probably too late for me, though. I'll have to go live on Earth to have my babies, and no male spacer will give up the Black to stay dirtside with me.

  • 1987 C. Claremont First Flight iii. 37 Chris Claremont bibliography

    People who couldn’t cut life dirtside and fled to space the way men used to join the French Foreign Legion?

  • 1993 D. Beason & K. J. Anderson Assemblers of Infinity i. 12 Kevin J. Anderson Doug Beason bibliography

    If the wizards back dirtside keep their part of the bargain, we could have a working fusion plant by early next year.

  • 1996 D. Weber Honor Among Enemies xxix. 381 David Weber bibliography

    At least she wasn’t forced to spend much time dirtside.

  • 2006 S. M. Stirling The Sky People i. 21 S. M. Stirling bibliography

    I know three months in zero-G makes you feel like a boiled noodle when you get back dirtside.

  • 2017 J. E. Czerneda To Guard Against the Dark iii. 29 page image Julie E. Czerneda bibliography

    Strictly speaking, Trade Pact Enforcers had no jurisdiction dirtside.

Research requirements

antedating 1953
Earliest cite

Robert Heinlein, "Starman Jones"
Research History
Mike Christie submitted a cite from a 1980 edition of Heinlein's Starman Jones, which was verified by John Doyle in the 1953 first edition.
Brian Hopper submitted a different cite from the 1953 first edition.
Douglas Winston submitted a 2001 cite from David Gerrold's "Bouncing Off the Moon".
Douglas Winston submitted a 2002 cite from Tanya Huff's "The Better Part of Valor".
Douglas Winston submitted a 1987 cite from Chris Claremont's "First Flight".
Michael Dolbear submitted a 1995 cite from a reprint of Lois McMaster Bujold's "Mirror Dance".
Michael Dolbear submitted a 2002 cite from David Weber's "War of Honor".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from an undated Ace books reprint of Robert A. Heinlein's "Time for the Stars".
Douglas Winston submitted a 1993 cite from John DeChancie's "The Kruton Interface".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a 1985 reprint of Andre Norton's 1955 "Sargasso of Space".
Enoch Forrester submitted a cite from a 1987 reprint of Greg Benford and David Brin's 1986 "Heart of the Comet".
Douglas Winston submitted a 2003 cite from Holly Phillips' "The Gate Between Hope and Glory".
Douglas Winston submitted cites from a reprint of Heinlein's 1957 "Double Star".
Michael Dolbear submitted cites from a 1997 reprint of David Weber's 1996 "Honor Among Enemies".

Last modified 2026-05-19 17:55:32
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.