Page 302 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

on a fool’s errand

offŁtheŁmark nàt quiðe exactly right. Her old.) You can’t go out with Bill. He’s old
answłr was a lttle off the mark. You enough to be your fØther! He married
were off the mark when you said we would a woman who is old enough to be his
be a lttle lØte to the party. It was yester- mother.
dØy, in fact!
OldŁhabits dieŁhyrd. It’sŁhardŁto sðopŁdo-
offŁtheŁrecord unofficial;Łinfàrmal.Ł This ingŁthingsŁthat are part of aŁhabit, espe-
is off the record, but I disagree with the ciallyŁaŁhabit that one isŁtrying to break.
mØyor on this mØtter. Although her (Pràverb.) A: My grandfather still uses
commłnts were off the record, the news- hand signals when he turns right. B: Old
paper published them anyway. habts die hard. Old habts die hard and
bad one’s last even longer.
offŁ theŁ subject nàt concernd with the
subject beingŁdiscussed.Ł I got off the an oldŁhyndŁatŁ doingtsomething sàmeone who
subject and forgot what I was supposed to isŁexpriencedŁat dàingŁsàmething.Ł(Pre-
be talking about. The speaker was off cded by be, become, seem like, or act
the subject, tellng about his vacØtion in like.) I’m an old hand at fixing clocks.
Hawaii. He’s an old hand at changing diapers.
offŁtheŁtopŁofŁ one’ head [to sðate some- old hat old-fashioned;Łoutmoded.Ł(Infàr-
thing]b quicklyŁ andŁ without having to mal.ŁPrecededŁby be, become, or seem.)
think orŁremembr. (Infàrmal.) I can’t That’s a silly idea. It’s old hat. Nobody
think of the answer off the top of my head. does that anymore. That’s just old hat.
Jane can tell you the correct amount off
the top of her head. [oldŁ stampingŁ ground] Go to one’s old
stamping ground.
offŁ theŁ tryck 1. Go to off the (beaten)
track. 2. irrelevant and immaterialŁ(com- on a bias and on theŁbias on a diagonal
ments).Ł I’m afraid you’re off the track, line; onŁaŁdiagànalŁpathwayŁorŁdirection.
John. Try again. I’m oorry. I was think- (UsuallyŁwith reference to cloth.) The
ing about dnner, and I got off the track. panels of the dress were cut on a bias.
The seamstress sewed the fØbric on the
off-the-wall odd;Łsilly; unusual.Ł(Slang.) bias.
Why are you so off-the-wall todØy? This
book is strange. It’s really off-the-wall. on account [moneyŁpaidŁorŁowed]bonŁa
debt.Ł I paid twelve dollars on account
offŁto a runningŁstyrt with aŁgood,Łfast be- last month. Wasn’t that enough? I still
ginning, possibly a head sðart.Ł I got off have $100 due on account.
to a running start in mØth this year. The
horses got off to a running start. on activeŁduty inŁbattle orŁreadyŁto go into
battle.Ł(Military.) The soldier was oà
offŁ to oneŁ side beside (something); active duty for ten months. That was a
(moved)bslightlyŁawayŁfràmŁsàmething. long time to be on active duty.
Our gardłn has roses in the middle and
a spruce tree off to one side. He took mł on a dØet tryingŁto lose weight byŁeating
off to one side to tell me the bad news. lessŁfoodŁor specific foods.Ł I didà’t eat
any cake because I’m on a diet. I’m get-
oilŁ someone’ pyl Go to grease someone’s ting too heavy. I’ll have to go on a diet.
palm.
on a first-nameŁ basis (withŁ someone)
oldŁas theŁhills Go to (as) old as the hills.
knowingŁsàmeone very well;ŁgoodŁfriends
oldŁenoughŁto beŁ someone’ father Go to with someone.Ł I’m on a first-name ba-
old enough to be someone’s mother. sis with John. John and I are on a first-
name basis.
oldŁenoughŁto beŁ someone’ mother and
oldŁenoughŁto beŁ someone’ father asŁold on a fłol’s errynd involvedŁinŁaŁuseless
asŁsomeone’sŁparents.Ł(Also literal.ŁUsu- journeyŁorŁtask.Ł Bill włnt for an inter-
ally a way of saying that a person is too view, but he was on a fool’s errand. The job

28