Define off the hook. Off the hook 2022-10-18

Define off the hook Rating: 8,8/10 1039 reviews

"Off the hook" is a slang phrase that has a few different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. It is generally used to describe a situation that is relieved of responsibility or pressure, or to describe someone who has escaped a difficult or undesirable situation.

One common use of the phrase is to describe someone who has been absolved of a responsibility or obligation. For example, if someone has agreed to take on a task but is then able to pass it off to someone else, they might say that they are "off the hook" for that task. In this sense, the phrase suggests that the person was previously on the hook for the task, but is now free from that obligation.

Another use of the phrase is to describe someone who has escaped from a difficult or undesirable situation. For example, if someone is being chased by a group of people and is able to get away, they might say that they are "off the hook." In this sense, the phrase suggests that the person was in a potentially dangerous or uncomfortable situation, but has managed to escape it.

Finally, the phrase can be used more broadly to describe a situation in which pressure or responsibility has been relieved. For example, if a company has been struggling to meet its deadlines but is able to complete all of its work on time, it might be said to be "off the hook" in terms of meeting those deadlines.

Overall, "off the hook" is a slang phrase that is often used to describe a situation in which someone or something is relieved of responsibility, pressure, or a difficult or undesirable situation. It is a casual, informal way of expressing relief or escape from a challenging situation.

What does off the hook mean?

define off the hook

The image is of the phone ringing so frequently that it falls off the cradle or wall attachment. Link to this page: ring off the hook. Slang is a very informal type of language. While a phone can be off the hook, it can also ring so much and so excessively or wildly that it can, at least theoretically, fall off the hook or out of its cradle. Can also be used, in the same vein, to mean annoyed, angry, or upset. He hooked a large fish.

Next

Ring off the hook

define off the hook

Held responsible for something ; obliged or committed to something. My sweater was hooked on a branch. Most often, when someone uses the phrase off the hook, they are using it with this definition as their intended meaning. Hang your jacket on that hook behind the door; hooks and eyes. At first, Sam was suspected of stealing money from the safe, but he was let off the hook after security camera footage showed it was someone else. She had got Tom off the hook.

Next

off the hook

define off the hook

Or, it may actually be in reference to the worm used as bait getting itself loose off the hook and avoiding being eaten by a fish. The slang term off the chain has a similar meaning and is used in similar ways. Blumberg, Men's Health, 26 Oct. A thesaurus will turn up additional options. She hooked her fingers around the doorknob. . He hooked a large salmon.

Next

Off the hook Definition & Meaning

define off the hook

Also referring to the previous telephone definition, when a phone is off the hook, it is disconnected, which can mean incoherent, wild, or crazy, or can even be taken to mean emotional and upset. For example, tea is a slang word for gossip, and dough is a slang term for money. I was meant to spend the weekend cleaning out the garage, but my wife let me off the hook so I could go on the big fishing trip with my buddies. At press time, as the Super Bowl was approaching, the phone at Sister Jean Kenny's convent was once again ringing off the hook. Because it turns out, this common idiomatic phrase has at least four different meanings in the English lexicon and popular culture—yes, four! The dress hooks in the back. On the Hook You may have also heard the similar sounding phrase on the hook. Wild or crazy, extreme.

Next

off the hook meaning, origin, example sentence, definition, synonym

define off the hook

Did you know what they meant when they did? The 52-year-old Chicagoan, a Sister of Providence, was getting her annual rush of calls from national and local media trying to book her on TV and radio news, talk, and sports shows to predict the winner of the Super Bowl. Typically, slang words and phrases are more commonly spoken than written, and they may be more commonly used by a particular group of people such as teenagers or in specific settings. Verb The train cars were hooked together. Used in this way, off the hook is considered a slang phrase. To pardon, release, or allow one to escape from blame, responsibility, obligation, or difficulty. Five judges led by Chief Justice David Maraga said the reasons given by the Mr Boinett to continue holding Mr Ahmad Abolfathi Mohammed and Mr Sayed Mansour Mousavi at the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit were valid and not wilful disobedience of a court order. He hooked the ladder on to the branch ; This bit hooks on to that bit; Could you hook my dress up down the back? The Blues have conceded seven goals in their last three matches and were let off the hook by some woeful Watford finishing during Saturday's 4-2 win over the The Toffees' failure to secure a quality replacement for Romelu Lukaku has been well documented but Wayne Rooney has taken on FOOTBALL CHELSEA and Everton were involved in the two highestscoring games of the Premier League weekend just gone and should serve up plenty of goals in tonight's League Cup fourthround tie at Stamford Bridge, writes Dan Childs.

Next

What Does Off the Hook Mean?

define off the hook

I'll get her to marry me, by hook or by crook. These uses likely originated out of the meaning shared above. Synonyms for Off the Hook As mentioned above, the phrase off the hook is most commonly used to mean no longer being obligated to do something; being free of accountability or responsibility, or being out of trouble—to use another idiom, being able to wash your hands clean of a situation or circumstance. It may be a reference to the idea of a fish, trapped without any options, freeing itself from the hook at the end of a fishing pole to avoid being caught for dinner. Note: You can also just say that someone is off the hook if they have not been punished or blamed.

Next

On the hook

define off the hook

The phone was ringing off the hook all day at work! If something goes wrong in the company, it could be you on the hook. McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Note: You can also say that you get someone off the hook if you do something to stop them being punished or blamed for something. I would think very carefully signing your name to those documents. We cannot let the government off the hook for what it has done. Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. COMMON If you let someone off the hook, you allow them to avoid being punished or blamed for something.


Next

Ringing off the hook

define off the hook

He hooked his thumb through a loop of his pants. He hooked his arm around my neck. Of a telephone, to be ringing constantly or very frequently. However, even modern landline portable phones can be left off the hook simply by not pressing the button to hang up the phone. By SAM KIPLAGATInspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet has been let off the hook after the Supreme Court rejected an application to jail him for six months for failing to release two Iranians who were acquitted in January. They resent any hint that he will be let off the hook because of his privileged position. Knowing the definition of idiom, you can now see why off the hook is an idiomatic expression.

Next