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Glite Dictionary
🏠 To finish work 🙅 To stop bothering ⚖️ To avoid punishment 🚶 To leave 🔥 To feel aroused 💊 To get high 😄 To say a joke
to get off

to get off

9 7.0
To say a short clever comment to make people laugh
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡɛt ɔf/
translation icon : soltar
  • "During our meeting, I tried to get off a witty joke to lighten the mood, and it worked!"
  • get off a good line

Examples

  • And on a final note, whatever it is you want to say, get off your chest.

  • "She always knows how to get off a clever remark at the right moment," he said with admiration.

  • Get real and get off your high horse.

    Blog text (21)

  • The great talent in theater is knowing when to get off.

    Bigger Than the Sky (2005)

  • "I've been meaning to ask you a question I brought up in class, but you got off on something else and didn't get back to it," said John.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Monroe's way with words: We didn't see much of everybody's favorite reformed blutbad, but he did get off a few good lines.

    Blog text (12)

  • "If you have anything to share, now is the time to get off your chest before we move on."

Synonyms

to crack
vsto get off
  • Informal
168 4.8

To say a short funny or clever remark

is a clever notable delivery rather than a sudden quip
to crack a joke
vsto get off
  • Informal
10 2.9

Tell a joke to make people laugh

focuses on clever notable wording more than just making people laugh
to drop the mic
vsto get off
  • Texting
1 8.8

Finish speaking or performing in a confident, impressive way that needs no reply

is a clever notable delivery rather than a finale of emphasis
to spiel off
vsto get off
  • Informal
8.7

To say facts quickly and smoothly from memory

is a clever notable line spoken for effect rather than rehearsed rapid speech

Antonyms

to stumble
48 3.0

To hesitate or make a small mistake when speaking

How Clever

to crack a joke
  • Informal
10 2.9
to get off
9 7.0
line
  • Informal
279 8.0
to say
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

get off infinitive
getting off present participle
gets off third person singular
got off past
got off past participle

Morphology

get + off

The sense 'leave a vehicle' is directly derivable from combining a motion verb 'get' (move/arrive at) with the particle 'off' (away from a surface), so that reading is transparent to learners. However, the extension 'stop bothering/irritating someone' is a metaphorical use of 'off' (move away from/contact removed) and requires recognition of a figurative transfer, so overall the item is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Get off meaning to say a line comes from the image of quickly sending words out, like letting a short line go from your mouth. That's why it means 'to deliver a remark or joke'.