Wiktionary

score off

See also: score-off

English edit

WOTD – 4 February 2011

Etymology edit

score + off

Pronunciation edit

  • Audio (AU)(file)

See score, off.

Verb edit

score off (third-person singular simple present scores off, present participle scoring off, simple past and past participle scored off)

  1. (transitive, inseparable, idiomatic, slang) To defeat (especially in an argument), get the better of, achieve a success over, gain an advantage or win points over, make a point to the detriment or at the expense of, make appear foolish. Sometimes with particle on (someone).
    The old hag never missed out on any opportunity to score off on her daughter-in-law.
    Whether it was politics, trade, competition in industry, snobbery, boasting, self-advertisement, or gossip, the object was to score off one's adversary and put him down.
    Aunt Laura wore an air of overpowering satisfaction. Evidently she had already triumphed, and she smiled so cheerfully at Edwin that he felt convinced that she had scored him off in some way.
  2. (transitive, separable, idiomatic) To delete or remove (especially from a list); to score out, strike out or strike off, cross out or cross off; to draw a line through.
    You can score off my name, I quit.
    You can score my name off, I quit.
    He will keep the roll and score off the name of any Boy absent twice.
    On the certificate of birth of Francis E. Dec, the name “Frank” has been scored off and “Francis” inserted above.
    More people were simply scored off the list of unemployed than found employment through employment bureaux.
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see score,‎ off. To score from.
    A field goal or point after touchdown may be scored off a drop kick.

Usage notes edit

  • In sense 1 (defeat), this phrasal verb is inseparable and the object always appear after the particle (except for a pronoun, which must always precede the particle).
  • In sense 2 (delete), this phrasal verb is separable and the object may appear before or after the particle (though more common after, to avoid ambiguities).

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

References edit

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