The idea that touching a toad causes warts is off base.
When Tom said that the teacher's explanation did not agree with the book, the teacher was embarrassed at being caught off base.
Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". Оригинал: A.Маккей, М.Т.Боткер, Дж.И.Гейтс. 1997.
off base — {adj. phr.}, {informal} Not agreeing with fact; wrong. * /The idea that touching a toad causes warts is off base./ * /When Tom said that the teacher s explanation did not agree with the book, the teacher was embarrassed at being caught off base./ … Dictionary of American idioms
off base — {adj. phr.}, {informal} Not agreeing with fact; wrong. * /The idea that touching a toad causes warts is off base./ * /When Tom said that the teacher s explanation did not agree with the book, the teacher was embarrassed at being caught off base./ … Dictionary of American idioms
off-base — adj. (Mil.) located outside a military base; as, off base housing. [WordNet 1.5] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
off-base — (adv.) unawares, 1936, American English, from OFF (Cf. off) (adv.) + BASE (Cf. base) (n.); a figurative extension from baseball sense of not in the right position (1898), from notion of a baserunner being picked off while taking a lead … Etymology dictionary
off base — mod. off target; wrong; not relevant. (See also way off (base).) □ Your answer was completely off base. Try again. □ You are off base. I will have to deal with someone else … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
off base — adjective a) Situated or happening outside the boundaries of a military base. A Virginia lawmaker wants to improve off base living conditions for enlisted troops with families. b) Positioned somewhere between the bases, and hence vulnerable to… … Wiktionary
off base — phrasal 1. wrong, mistaken < estimates were way off base > 2. unawares < caught off base by the charges > … New Collegiate Dictionary
off base — phrasal 1. : completely or absurdly mistaken any man who said such a thing is certainly off base 2. : by surprise : unawares the sudden question caught him off base … Useful english dictionary
off-base — /awf bays , of /, adj. located outside the perimeters of a military base: off base housing for officers. [1935 40] * * * … Universalium
off base — Synonyms and related words: aberrant, abnormal, abominable, atrocious, bad, criminal, delinquent, deviant, disgraceful, disorderly, disruptive, evil, hardly the thing, ignominious, ill considered, ill seasoned, ill timed, illegal, improper,… … Moby Thesaurus
