"off the hook" meaning in English

See off the hook in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Audio: En-au-off the hook.ogg
Etymology: An allusion to a fish caught on the hook of a fishing line. Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} off the hook (not comparable)
  1. (idiomatic) Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure. Tags: idiomatic, not-comparable Categories (topical): Telephony
    Sense id: en-off_the_hook-en-adj-oAD8wA9k Disambiguation of Telephony: 12 40 34 5 9
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Adjective

Etymology: Referring to the candlestick phone, which in order to hang up, the receiver must be hung on a hook. Leaving the receiver off the hook would prevent it from being able to receive calls. Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} off the hook (not comparable)
  1. Of a telephone, having an open connection; not hung up. Tags: not-comparable Categories (topical): Telephony
    Sense id: en-off_the_hook-en-adj-HMyOsVpB Disambiguation of Telephony: 12 40 34 5 9 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 14 4 36 44
  2. Of a telephone, ringing frequently. Tags: not-comparable Categories (topical): Telephony
    Sense id: en-off_the_hook-en-adj-fHPozQpj Disambiguation of Telephony: 12 40 34 5 9
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Adjective

Etymology: Unknown. Etymology templates: {{unk|en}} Unknown Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} off the hook (not comparable)
  1. (idiomatic, informal, sports) Performing extraordinarily well. Tags: idiomatic, informal, not-comparable Categories (topical): Sports
    Sense id: en-off_the_hook-en-adj-33L~n67S Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 14 4 36 44 Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports
  2. (idiomatic, informal, slang) Fresh, cool, trendy, excellent, incredible. Tags: idiomatic, informal, not-comparable, slang
    Sense id: en-off_the_hook-en-adj-KNpLGNW2 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 14 4 36 44 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 2 15 4 32 46 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 12 2 31 53
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: off the hizzle Related terms: off the chain, off the hooks, ring off the hook
Etymology number: 3
{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_text": "An allusion to a fish caught on the hook of a fishing line.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "off the hook (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "12 40 34 5 9",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Telephony",
          "orig": "en:Telephony",
          "parents": [
            "Electronics",
            "Telecommunications",
            "Technology",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "When the boss assigned the project to Tom, the rest of us were relieved to be off the hook.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Without any evidence, the police had to let the suspect off the hook.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane:",
          "text": "Dom (David Jonsson): Tempting, but I think it's actually something I need to do. Like, I get what they did was peak, but I have to take some responsibility, you know?\nYas (Vivian Oparah): Like, not at all. You're gonna let them off the hook after how they treated you?",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure."
      ],
      "id": "en-off_the_hook-en-adj-oAD8wA9k",
      "links": [
        [
          "Relieve",
          "relieve"
        ],
        [
          "duty",
          "duty"
        ],
        [
          "burden",
          "burden"
        ],
        [
          "responsibility",
          "responsibility"
        ],
        [
          "pressure",
          "pressure"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-off the hook.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/En-au-off_the_hook.ogg/En-au-off_the_hook.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/En-au-off_the_hook.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "off the hook"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_text": "Referring to the candlestick phone, which in order to hang up, the receiver must be hung on a hook. Leaving the receiver off the hook would prevent it from being able to receive calls.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "off the hook (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "2 14 4 36 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 40 34 5 9",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Telephony",
          "orig": "en:Telephony",
          "parents": [
            "Electronics",
            "Telecommunications",
            "Technology",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I think he left the phone off the hook so that nobody would call him.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a telephone, having an open connection; not hung up."
      ],
      "id": "en-off_the_hook-en-adj-HMyOsVpB",
      "links": [
        [
          "telephone",
          "telephone"
        ],
        [
          "open",
          "open"
        ],
        [
          "connection",
          "connection"
        ],
        [
          "hung up",
          "hang up"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "12 40 34 5 9",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Telephony",
          "orig": "en:Telephony",
          "parents": [
            "Electronics",
            "Telecommunications",
            "Technology",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The phone was ringing off the hook all night.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a telephone, ringing frequently."
      ],
      "id": "en-off_the_hook-en-adj-fHPozQpj",
      "links": [
        [
          "ring",
          "ring"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "off the hook"
}

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "off the hizzle"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 3,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Unknown",
      "name": "unk"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Unknown.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "off the hook (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "off the chain"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "off the hooks"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "ring off the hook"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sports",
          "orig": "en:Sports",
          "parents": [
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 14 4 36 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That's five three-pointers in a row! Smith is off the hook!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Performing extraordinarily well."
      ],
      "id": "en-off_the_hook-en-adj-33L~n67S",
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "Perform",
          "perform"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, informal, sports) Performing extraordinarily well."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "2 14 4 36 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 15 4 32 46",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 12 2 31 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That party was off the hook!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Fresh, cool, trendy, excellent, incredible."
      ],
      "id": "en-off_the_hook-en-adj-KNpLGNW2",
      "links": [
        [
          "Fresh",
          "fresh"
        ],
        [
          "cool",
          "cool"
        ],
        [
          "trendy",
          "trendy"
        ],
        [
          "excellent",
          "excellent"
        ],
        [
          "incredible",
          "incredible"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, informal, slang) Fresh, cool, trendy, excellent, incredible."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal",
        "not-comparable",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "off the hook"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with unknown etymologies",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Telephony"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_text": "An allusion to a fish caught on the hook of a fishing line.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "off the hook (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "When the boss assigned the project to Tom, the rest of us were relieved to be off the hook.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Without any evidence, the police had to let the suspect off the hook.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane:",
          "text": "Dom (David Jonsson): Tempting, but I think it's actually something I need to do. Like, I get what they did was peak, but I have to take some responsibility, you know?\nYas (Vivian Oparah): Like, not at all. You're gonna let them off the hook after how they treated you?",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Relieve",
          "relieve"
        ],
        [
          "duty",
          "duty"
        ],
        [
          "burden",
          "burden"
        ],
        [
          "responsibility",
          "responsibility"
        ],
        [
          "pressure",
          "pressure"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) Relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-off the hook.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/En-au-off_the_hook.ogg/En-au-off_the_hook.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/En-au-off_the_hook.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "off the hook"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with unknown etymologies",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Telephony"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_text": "Referring to the candlestick phone, which in order to hang up, the receiver must be hung on a hook. Leaving the receiver off the hook would prevent it from being able to receive calls.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "off the hook (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I think he left the phone off the hook so that nobody would call him.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a telephone, having an open connection; not hung up."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "telephone",
          "telephone"
        ],
        [
          "open",
          "open"
        ],
        [
          "connection",
          "connection"
        ],
        [
          "hung up",
          "hang up"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The phone was ringing off the hook all night.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of a telephone, ringing frequently."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ring",
          "ring"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "off the hook"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with unknown etymologies",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Telephony"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "off the hizzle"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 3,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Unknown",
      "name": "unk"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Unknown.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "off the hook (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "off the chain"
    },
    {
      "word": "off the hooks"
    },
    {
      "word": "ring off the hook"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Sports"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That's five three-pointers in a row! Smith is off the hook!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Performing extraordinarily well."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sports",
          "sports"
        ],
        [
          "Perform",
          "perform"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, informal, sports) Performing extraordinarily well."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English informal terms",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That party was off the hook!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Fresh, cool, trendy, excellent, incredible."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Fresh",
          "fresh"
        ],
        [
          "cool",
          "cool"
        ],
        [
          "trendy",
          "trendy"
        ],
        [
          "excellent",
          "excellent"
        ],
        [
          "incredible",
          "incredible"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, informal, slang) Fresh, cool, trendy, excellent, incredible."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal",
        "not-comparable",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "off the hook"
}

Download raw JSONL data for off the hook meaning in English (4.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.