Commonly used english part 59 ppsx

off and running - to be started up and already going The candidates are off and running in the race to become mayor of the city.. off one`s back - to be not bothering someone I wish my f

of course

- certainly, definitely, naturally

"Of course you can use my car if you want to."

of interest (to someone)

- to be interesting to someone

The man who works at the gas station is of interest to the police in their investigation

of the murder

of late

- lately

Of late there has been almost no rain in our city

of no avail

- with no effect, unsuccessful

My complaints to the company were of no avail and nothing was done

of one's own accord/free will

- by one's own choice

The supervisor decided to leave her job of her own free will and was not fired

of the old school

- to have attitudes from the past which are no longer popular

Our teacher's attitudes are of the old school and are not often found these days

off Idioms

off and on

- occasionally

My friend has been seeing a woman off and on but I do not think that their

relationship is very serious

off and running

- to be started up and already going

The candidates are off and running in the race to become mayor of the city

off balance

- to be not prepared for something, to be unable to meet the unexpected

I was off balance when my boss asked me to deliver the speech instead of him

off base

- to be inaccurate/wrong

He was off base with his estimate of next year`s budget

off campus

- to be not exactly in the center or middle of something

The picture was off-center and did not look good on the wall

the off chance

- a slight possibility

I went to the department store on the off chance that I would find a new jacket that I liked

off-color

- to be in bad taste, to be not polite, to be not the exact color

He likes to tell off-color jokes which most people do not like

We painted the walls an off-color of white

off duty

- to be not working

The police officer was off duty when he saw the bank robbery

off guard

- to be not alert to the unexpected

It caught me off guard when my friend suddenly asked me to lend her some money

off like a shot

- to go away quickly

The children were off like a shot when the school bell rang

off limits

- to be forbidden

The factory was off limits to everybody except the workers who worked there

off one`s back

- to be not bothering someone

I wish my father would get off my back and stop asking me when I am going to look for a job

off one`s chest

- to talk about a problem to someone so that it does not bother you anymore

I talked to my friend and I was able to get some of my problems off my chest

off one`s hands

- to no longer be in one`s care or possession

I sold my old computer and got it off my hands

off one`s high horse

- to be not acting proud and scornful, to be not acting like you are better than others

We got our boss off his high horse when he admitted that he had made many mistakes with the new product launch

off one`s rocker

- to be crazy

He must be off his rocker if he thinks that he can spend much money and not have financial problems

off season

- to be not in the busy time of the year, to be restricted (the hunting of an animal)

It was off season so we got a very cheap rate for the hotel room

It was off season and we could not hunt ducks now

off (someone or something) goes

- someone or something is leaving

"Off we go," I said as we opened the door and left the house

off the air

- to be not broadcasting

The small radio station was not popular and is now off the air

off the beam

- to be wrong/mistaken

What he said about the new policy was off the beam and should be ignored by

everybody

off the beaten track

- to be not well known or often used, to be unusual

Last night we went to a small restaurant that was off the beaten track

off the cuff

- to not prepare in advance what one will say

My father made a few remarks off the cuff when he was accepting the award from his company

off the hook

- to be out of trouble or free from an embarrassing situation

I think that I am off the hook now and will not have to worry about the problem anymore

off the mark

- to be not quite exactly right

The cost estimate for the new train station was off the mark

off the record

- to be private, to be unofficial

He told the reporters off the record about the problem with the budget estimate

off the subject

- to be not concerned with the subject under discussion

Our teacher is often off the subject during our class lectures

off the top of one`s head

- to be from memory, to be spontaneous

He knew all of the team members off the top of his head

off the track

- to be not concerned with the topic under discussion

My friend was off the track when he suggested that the problem was caused by the other department

off the wagon

- to begin to drink alcohol again after stopping for awhile

He is off the wagon again I saw him yesterday and I am sure that he had been

drinking

off the wall

- to be odd/silly/unusual

The recent remarks by our boss were very much off the wall

off to a running start

- to have a good and fast beginning

We were off to a running start with our preparations for the autumn festival

off to one side

- to be beside something, to be moved a little away from something

We put the old chair off to one side while we tried to decide what to do with it

.

offbeat

- to be unconventional, to be different from the usual

The movie was very offbeat which is just the kind of movie that I like

(as) old as the hills

- to be very old

The building next to the library is as old as the hills

an old hand at (doing something)

- to be experienced at doing something

My father is an old hand at building kitchen furniture

old hat

- to be old-fashioned, to be not new or different

My job has become old hat and I am becoming tired of it

on Idioms

on a diet

- to be eating less food so that you can lose weight

I was on a diet for several months last year

on a dime

- to do something in a very small space, to do something quickly

His new car has very powerful brakes and is able to stop on a dime

on a first-name basis (with someone)

- to be good friends with someone

I am not on a first-name basis with my neighbor

on a fool's errand

- to be involved in a useless journey or task

I was on a fool's errand as I looked for a store that sold international road maps

on a shoestring

- to do something with very little money

He started the new company on a shoestring

on a splurge

- to spend much money extravagantly

We went on a splurge last weekend and spent a lot of money

on a waiting list

- to be on a list of people waiting for something

My father is on a waiting list to get an operation on his knee

on account

- money paid or owed on a debt

We buy many things on account at the local department store

on active duty

- to be in battle or ready to go into battle

The soldiers were on active duty when the hurricane reached the shore

on again, off again

- to be unsettled/changeable/uncertain

The plans for the fireworks display were on again, off again because of the rainy and windy weather

on all fours

- to be on one's hands and knees

on an even keel

- to be in a well-ordered situation/condition

We got the new department running on an even keel before we took some time off

on and off

- intermittently, now and then

It has been raining on and off since early this morning

on and on

- continually, at tedious length

The speech continued on and on until we finally left the meeting

on any account

- for any purpose, for any reason

I am not going to talk to that woman on any account

on approval

- to buy something with the right to return it

We carefuly looked at the chair which we had bought on approval

on behalf of (someone)

- representing someone

The lawyer went to the meeting on behalf of his client

on bended knee