Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook (49 page)

to release or emit sound or energy, as with an explosion or firearm ♦
My alarm
goes off
at 6 a.m. every morning.
♦
The gun
went off
accidentally, but no one was hurt.

to eliminate a debt by paying the remaining balance ♦
They celebrated when they finally
paid off
their house.

to get rid of personal items or assets (usually at a low price) by selling them ♦
He
sold off
some of his stock.

1.
to eliminate from financial accounts as a loss ♦
The company was never able to collect the debt, so they had to
write
it
off. ♦
She
writes off
some of her expenses from her taxes.

2.
to drop from consideration something or someone regarded as a failure or worthless ♦
When he was a child, Einstein was
written off
as unintelligent.

to deduct or decrease the price, quantity, or amount of ♦
They
took
20 percent
off
the original price.
♦
When I get my hair cut, I like just a little bit
taken off
the sides and back.

1.
to deduct or decrease the price; to get rid of a portion of ♦
Because the item is damaged, we’ll
knock
$10
off
the price.

2.
to quit an activity for the day, often some form of work or practice ♦
We usually
knock off
work at 4:30 p.m.

to decrease or decline drastically; to become worse or less ♦
Employment rates
fell off
sharply during the recession.
♦
Her interest in tennis really
dropped off
after she started playing golf.

1.
to work in exchange for paying a debt directly, until the debt is paid ♦
I was able to
work off
some of my rent by painting my apartment.

2.
to eliminate or reduce weight and extra calories by exercising ♦
He’s trying to
work off
a few extra pounds.
♦
That was a huge meal. Let’s take a walk and try to
work
some of it
off.

1.
to postpone an action or decision, often out of laziness or because it is unpleasant or difficult ♦
He
put off
going to the dentist until his toothache was unbearable.
♦
We had to
put off
our vacation until September.

2.
to avoid or delay responding to or interacting with someone ♦
He wanted my answer right away, but I
put
him
off
for a few days.

3.
to offend or intimidate someone by being overly abrasive, assertive, or difficult ♦
His pushy approach really
puts
people
off.

1.
to deliberately postpone an action or decision; to hesitate in a decision ♦
We’ll
hold off
the decision until we have more information.
♦
I want a new car now, but I have to
hold off
buying one until I get a raise.

2.
to keep someone away, at a distance, or to deliberately delay interacting with someone ♦
Can you
hold off
those salesmen? I don’t want to see them now.
♦
He wanted to see her, but she was angry with him and kept
holding
him
off.

1.
to cancel a scheduled plan ♦
The parade was
called off
because of rain.

2.
to call away or summon an aggressive person or pet ♦ Call off
your dog! It won’t let me pass.

Knock It Off!

Knock it off!
is a strong, common expression used to order someone to be quiet or to stop behaving in a certain way. It’s often said to children when they are too noisy or rowdy: “Okay, you kids,
knock it off!
Quit running in the house
.”
But it’s also used, rudely, with adults: “Hey,
knock it off!
You’re making too much noise.”
Knock it off
can be serious or playful depending on the situation.

to defend oneself against attack; drive back an enemy; struggle to avoid being defeated or overcome. Often used to refer to illness, temptations, or sleep. ♦
I’ve been
fighting off
a cold all week.
♦
I
fought off
the temptation to have a second piece of pie.

1.
to move back a little bit, often out of caution ♦
The dog looked friendly, but when he showed his teeth, we
backed off.

2.
to lessen or stop annoying or pressuring; often used in regard to an argument, nagging, scolding, or advising ♦
I’m not going to change my opinion, so please
back off!
Note:
In this context, this idiom is considered very strong and can be rude.

Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow...

A well-known saying goes “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” It advises you to take advantage of the present moment or opportunities, to avoid procrastination, and not wait to do important or necessary things. Usually people shorten the expression and just say “Don’t put off till tomorrow . . . .” As a humorous twist in meaning, when people are procrastinating, or feeling particularly lazy or uninspired, they may joke and excuse their inaction by saying “Don’t do today what you can put off until tomorrow!”

Clean It Off!

When the preposition
off
is joined with a cleaning verb (clean, clear, dust, sweep, wash, and so on), the result is often an idiom that means to clean the top or outer surface of something, or to get the top layer of clutter or dirt off the surface. For example, to
rinse off
the plates generally means to run water over the surface to remove leftover food, (while to
rinse
the plates implies to rinse them thoroughly after washing them to remove all of the soap). These idioms are often used to refer to a light cleaning or clearing of clutter. The following sentences include the most common of these idioms:

• Clean off
  the kitchen counter
  (remove the clutter or wipe it clean).
  
• Clear off
  your desk
  (remove papers, books, and so on, from the top surface).
  
• Dust off
  these books
  (lightly dust).
  
• Rinse off
  this apple before you eat it
  (run water over the surface).
  
• Sweep off
  the porch
  (lightly sweep, often in preparation for use).
  
• Wipe off
  the garden chairs before you use them
  (lightly clean or wipe with a damp or dry cloth).
  

Note:
The verbs
to
vacuum
,
to mop,
and
to wax
are rarely joined with
off,
because these cleaning jobs generally take more time and effort; they can’t be done lightly.

[See “
Clean It
Out!”
and “
Clean It Up!”
later in this chapter.]

1.
to stay away from; to avoid trespassing or getting on ♦
The sign on the stone monument read “Please
Keep Off.”

2.
to prevent from getting on; avert ♦
This hat will help
keep
the sun
off
your face.

1.
means “Go away!” A strong, often rude expression of dismissal or rejection ♦
She was so angry with him that she told him to
kiss off.

2. (S)
to reject, dismiss, or let go of something, often that which is considered unworthy or a loss ♦
He’ll probably never pay you back, so you might as well
kiss
that money
off.

to supply required information, often by completing a form ♦
Choose your answer, and then
fill in
the corresponding circle with your pencil.
♦
When you finish
filling out
the forms, take them to the registration office.

1. (S)
to enter a number, name, or password into a computer to begin a computer session/to quit or close the computer file or site to end a computer session ♦
I
log in
every morning to check my e-mail.

2. (S)
to record numbers or data into a record book or program; to record information into a machine to begin/end an operation ♦
After you
log
the figures
in
, see what the data tells us.
♦
Don’t forget to
log out
of the cash register at the end of your shift.

1.
to enter a number, name, or password into a computer to begin a session/to quit or close the computer file or site to end a computer session ♦ Sign in
now by entering your password.

2.
to sign your name into a register book to indicate that you have arrived or are leaving, usually at a medical office, a workplace, meeting, or conference ♦
Please
sign in
and take a seat in the waiting room.
♦
Oops! I forgot to
sign out
when I took my lunch break today.

3. (S)
to sign (something) in/out; to record that something has arrived or has been returned/to record that something is being removed or borrowed, often equipment or a package ♦
We
sign
each rental car back
in
when it’s returned.
♦
If you want to borrow this AV equipment, then you need to
sign
it
out.