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Sat 13 Dec, 2003 01:11 am
Does "be off" mean "cancel"? Or "finish"?
Context:
Big corporate executives expect to be off pillaging some other company in just months, but you, the small business manager, need to plan 5, even 10 years out - because you'll likely still be managing the same business.
TIA
About the same as "be gone".
"be on a mission", "be engaging in"
Well, you know the verb "to be". And remember how I told you that sometimes in prasal verbs "off" has the meaning of "away"?
e.g.
He ran off.
He drove off.
He is off in the boondocks.
In that context, I'm afraid MichaelAllen's opinion is right.
Big corporate executives expect to be on a mission pillaging some other company in just months, but you, the small business manager, need to plan 5, even 10 years out - because you'll likely still be managing the same business.
It seems fluent in its meaning.
But I could not find out the definition about "off" in my dictionaries.
That's idiomatic usage for you... you won't find it in your dictionaries, but it's used just the same. That's why this community can be helpful for you (and others) -- someone here can explain these non-dictionary meanings...
Always a pleasure; as I've said before, your questions make me (and I hope others) think!
You guys are off by miles.
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