off\ and\ on

off\ and\ on
• off and on
• on and off
adv
Not regularly; occasionally; sometimes.

Joan wrote to a pen pal in England off and on for several years.

It rained off and on all day.

- Sometimes used with hyphens like an adjective.

A worn-out cord may make a hearing aid work in an off-and-on way.

Compare: by fits and starts, from time to time, now and then

Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". . 1997.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Off and on — Off Off ([o^]f; 115), adv. [OE. of, orig. the same word as R. of, prep., AS. of, adv. & prep. [root]194. See {Of}.] In a general sense, denoting from or away from; as: [1913 Webster] 1. Denoting distance or separation; as, the house is a mile off …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • off-and-on — adj. discontinuous; not continuous. Opposite of {continuous}. [prenominal] Syn: interrupted. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • off and on — also[on and off] {adv.} Not regularly; occasionally; sometimes. * /Joan wrote to a pen pal in England off and on for several years./ * /It rained off and on all day./ Sometimes used with hyphens like an adjective. * /A worn out cord may make a… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • off and on — also[on and off] {adv.} Not regularly; occasionally; sometimes. * /Joan wrote to a pen pal in England off and on for several years./ * /It rained off and on all day./ Sometimes used with hyphens like an adjective. * /A worn out cord may make a… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Off and On — Infobox Single | Name = Off And On Artist = Sophie Ellis Bextor from Album = Untitled Fourth Studio Album B side = Released = October/November 2008 Format = CD Single, Digital Download, Ring Tone, Promo Genre = Dance, pop Label = Fascination… …   Wikipedia

  • off and on — adverb Date: 1535 with periodic cessation ; intermittently < rained off and on all day > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Off and Running — Cover of Off and Running VHS Directed by Edward Bianchi Written by …   Wikipedia

  • Dust Off and Dance — Studio album by Tiffany Released May 31, 2005 Recorded 2005 …   Wikipedia

  • Memories Off ~And then~ — Infobox animanga/Header name = Memories Off And then caption = ja name = メモリーズオフ それから ja name trans = Memorīzu Obu Sorekara genre = Drama, RomanceInfobox animanga/Game title = developer = KID publisher = genre = Visual novel ratings = platforms …   Wikipedia

  • To stand off and on — Stand Stand (st[a^]nd), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Stood} (st[oo^]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Standing}.] [OE. standen; AS. standan; akin to OFries. stonda, st[=a]n, D. staan, OS. standan, st[=a]n, OHG. stantan, st[=a]n, G. stehen, Icel. standa, Dan. staae,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Struck Off and Die — were a British comedy duo consisting of doctors Tony Gardner and Phil Hammond during the 1990s. Their material drew heavily on their knowledge and experience of healthcare, and took a particularly cynical view of the problems that beset the UK s… …   Wikipedia

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