[off-key]{adj.}, {informal} 1. Not proper; queer. •/When George told jokes at the funeral, everyone thought his action was off-key./ 2. In a false key. •/John always sings off-key./ Compare: OUT OF LINE.

[off limits] See: OUT OF BOUNDS.

[off one’s back]{adj. phr.} 1. {informal} Stopped from bothering one; removed as an annoyance or pest. •/"Having a kid brother always following me is a nuisance," Mary told her mother. "Can’t you get him off my back?"/ •/The singer was so popular with teenagers that he took a secret vacation, to keep them off his back./ Contrast: ON ONE’S BACK(2). See: GIVE THE SHIRT OFF ONE’S BACK.

[off one’s chest]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Told to someone and so not bothering you anymore; not making you feel worried or upset, because you have talked about it. •/After Dave told the principal that he had cheated on the test, he was glad because it was off his chest./ •/Father felt that Tom wasn’t helping enough around the house, so he got it off his chest by giving Tom a list of things to do./ Compare: MAKE A CLEAN BREAST OF. Contrast: ON ONE’S CHEST.

[off one’s feet] See: KNOCK OFF ONE’S FEET, SWEEP OFF ONE’S FEET.

[off one’s hands]{adv. phr.} No longer in your care or possession. •/Ginny was glad to have the sick dog taken off her hands by the doctor./ Contrast: ON ONE’S HANDS.

[off one’s head]{adj. phr.} Crazy; mad. •/We had no doubt that the old man was off his head when we saw him jumping into the lake with his winter coat on./

[off one’s high horse]{adj. phr.}, {informal} 1. Not acting proud and scornful; humble and agreeable. •/The girls were so kind to Nancy after her mother died that she came down off her high horse and made friends with them./ 2. Acting friendly again; not angry and unpleasant any more; agreeable. •/Sally wouldn’t speak to anyone all afternoon because she couldn’t go to the movies, but she’s off her high horse now./ Contrast: ON ONE’S HIGH HORSE.

[off one’s nut] See: OFF ONE’S HEAD.

[off one’s rocker] or [off one’s trolley] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Not thinking correctly; crazy; silly; foolish. •/Tom is off his rocker if he thinks he can run faster than Bob can./ •/If you think you can learn to figure skate in one lesson, you’re off your trolley./ Syn.: OUT OF ONE’S HEAD.

[off one’s trolley] See: OFF ONE’S ROCKER.

[off season] See: LOW SEASON. Contrast: HIGH SEASON, ON SEASON.

[offshoot]{n.} A derivative; a side product. •/The discovery of nuclear reactors was ah offshoot of research in quantum physics./

[off the air]{adj. phr.} Not broadcasting; observing radio silence. •/The talk show is off the air on Wednesdays and Fridays./

[off the bat] See: RIGHT AWAY or RIGHT OFF THE BAT.

[off the beam]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. (Of an airplane) Not in the radio beam that marks the path to follow between airports; flying in the wrong direction. •/A radio signal tells the pilot of an airplane when his plane is off the beam./ 2. {slang} Wrong; mistaken. •/Maud was off the beam when she said that the girls didn’t like her./ Contrast: ON THE BEAM.

[off the beaten track]{adv. phr.} Not well known or often used; not gone to or seen by many people; unusual. •/The theater is off the beaten track./ •/We are looking for a vacation spot that is off the beaten track./ Compare: OUT OF THE WAY.

[off the cuff]{adv. phr.}, {informal} Without preparing ahead of time what you will, say; without preparation. •/Some presidents like to speak off the cuff to newspaper reporters but others prefer to think questions over and write their answers./

[off-the-cuff]{adj.}, {informal} Not prepared ahead of time. — Used of a speech or remarks. •/Jack was made master of ceremonies because he was a good off-the-cuff speaker./

[off the ground] See: GET OFF THE GROUND.

[off the handle] See: FLY OFF THE HANDLE.

[off the hog] See: LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG.

[off the hook]{adv. phr.} Out of trouble; out of an awkward or embarrassing situation. •/Thelma found she had made two dates for the same night; she asked Sally to get her off the hook by going out with one of the boys./

[off the record(1)]{adv. phr.} Confidentially. •/"Off the record," the boss said, "you will get a good raise for next year, but you’ll have to wait for the official letter."/ Contrast: ON RECORD, GO ON RECORD, JUST FOR THE RECORD.

[off the record(2)]{adj. phr.} Not to be published or told; secret; confidential. •/The president told the reporters his remarks were strictly off the record./ — Sometimes used with hyphens, before the noun. •/The governor was angry when a newspaper printed his off-the-record comments./

[off the top of one’s head]{adv.} or {adj. phr.}, {informal} Without thinking hard; quickly. •/Vin answered the teacher’s question off the top of his head./ •/When Lorraine was asked to recite, she talked off the top of her head./

[off the wagon]{adj. phr.}, {slang} No longer refusing to drink whiskey or other alcoholic beverages; drinking liquor again, after stopping for a while. •/When a heavy drinker quits he must really quit. One little drink of whiskey is enough to drive him off the wagon./ Contrast: ON THE WAGON.

[off the wall]{adj. phr.} Strange; out of the ordinary; stupid. •/He has been making off-the-wall remarks all day; something must he the matter with him./

[of it] See: WHAT OF IT.

[of late]{adv. phr.}, {formal} In the recent past; not long ago; a short time ago; lately; recently. •/There have been too many high school dropouts of late./

[of necessity]{adv. phr.} Because there is no other way; because it must be; necessarily. •/Being a professional actor of necessity means working nights and Sundays./

[of no avail] See: TO NO AVAIL.

[of old(1)]{adj. phr.} Of ancient times; of long ago. •/Knights of old had to wear armor in battle./

[of old(2)]{adv. phr.} From earlier experience. •/You won’t get any money from Freddie. I know him of old./

[of oneself] See: GIVE OF ONESELF.

[of one’s life]{adj. phr.} The best or worst; greatest. — Usually describing a time or effort. •/At Disneyland, Tommy had the time of his life./ •/His race for the presidency was the political fight of his life./

[of one’s own accord] or [of one’s own free will] {adv. phr.} Without suggestion or help from anyone else; without being told; voluntarily. •/On her mother’s birthday, Betsy did the dishes of her own accord./ •/But Johnny hates baths. I can’t believe he would take one of his own free will./

[of one’s own free will] See: OF ONE’S OWN ACCORD.

[of service]{adj. phr.} Valuable as a source of aid; helpful; useful. •/When a visitor seems lost or confused, the courteous student will ask "May I be of service?"/ •/A good jackknife is often of service to a camper./

[of sorts] or [of a sort] {adj. phr.} Not especially good; not very good; of common quality. •/Joel was a magician of sorts, and popular at parties./

[often] See: EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY SO OFTEN, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT.

[of die devil] See: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL AND HE APPEARS.