be off

¹

1. Leave, depart, as in I'm off to the races; wish me luck . This phrase, first recorded in 1826, was once commonly used as an imperative, meaning “go away”—as in Be off or I'll call the police —but today is rare in this context.

2. Be free from work, school, or some other regular occupation, as in The secretary is off today, but perhaps I can find it . [Mid-1800s]

3. Decline, as in The industrial stocks are off 50 points today . This usage, nearly always applied to securities or other prices, was first recorded in 1929, the year of the great stock market crash.

4. Be in poor condition; be stale or spoiled; not work properly. For example, This milk must be off; it tastes sour , or The kitchen clock is off by at least five minutes . [Early 1990s]

off, be

²

Example Sentences

But phones would be off limits once the opening bell rings, including lunch or nutrition and other breaks, until the end of the school day.

From Los Angeles Times

"Nothing should be off the table for the future of the Post Office," he said, adding that the organisation's future will be set out in the first half of next year.

From BBC

“Using the final FiveThirtyEight numbers, national polls appear to be off by 2.3% points and polls in swing states about 2.5% on average. These are below average errors, e.g., the average error in the last week’s polls for all presidential elections between 1952 and 2020 is 2.5%.”

From Salon

The government said smoking also cost the economy £18bn a year in lost productivity, with smokers a third more likely to be off work sick.

From BBC

There is also another possible scenario for election night 2024: The prognostications could be off, as they have been in the last three presidential election cycles, with the possibility of a winner declared after the polls close on the West Coast.

From Los Angeles Times