off-the-wall

[ awf-thuh-wawl, of- ]

adjective

, Informal.

1. markedly unconventional; bizarre; oddball:

   an unpredictable, off-the-wall personality.

off-the-wall

adjective

1. slang.
   off the wall when postpositive new or unexpected in an unconventional or eccentric way

   an off-the-wall approach to humour

Word History and Origins

Origin of off-the-wall¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Word History and Origins

Origin of off-the-wall¹

C20: possibly from the use of the phrase in handball and squash to describe a shot that is unexpected

Idioms and Phrases

Eccentric, unconventional, as in That idea of opening a 100-seat theater is off the wall . This expression probably originated in baseball or some other sport in which the ball can bounce off a wall in an erratic way. [ Colloquial ; 1960s]

Example Sentences

But the crowds proved so disruptive that the gallery eventually took the banana out of the booth after a performance artist, David Datuna, ripped it off the wall and ate it.

From New York Times

Jones saw a superstar quality in Jackson and became his producer and mentor, first on 1979's Off the Wall, which was a major hit, and then 1982's Thriller, which reached new heights of commercial and critical success, and made Jackson the undisputed King of Pop.

From BBC

However, Jones was best known for bolstering Jackson's career by producing albums like "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad."

From Salon

That record was Off The Wall - a disco extravaganza that established Jackson as a solo star.

From BBC

The album, “Off the Wall,” was a critical success, but the follow-up, “Thriller,” released in 1982, became the bestselling album of all time and earned eight Grammy awards.

From Los Angeles Times