to buzz off
- phrasal verb
- /bʌz ɔf/
- Offensive
- Tell her to buzz off, go on.
- tell him to buzz off
- just buzz off
- go and buzz off
Examples
-
To them I say, buzz off.
Blog text (25) -
Okay, now buzz off, and start clearing out the people from this end, because I want to start marching in two hours.
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- That mean you want me to buzz off?
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Buzz off before I call the cops.
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Buzz off and get a life.
Blog text (18) -
- Hey now look Russ... - Buzz off!
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Now buzz off!
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Buzz off, alright?
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Buzz off, will you?
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Just buzz off and leave me alone for a while.
Synonyms
Leave or tell someone to leave in a rude way
To make a person or animal move away, for example by waving
Leave a place right away, often because someone orders you to
Tell someone to go away immediately in a rude way
To make people or animals go away by waving your hand
Tell someone to go away and leave you alone
To tell someone rudely to go away or to stop working and relax
Tell someone to go away in a rude way
Make a person or animal go away with words and gestures
To tell someone rudely to go away and leave you alone
To tell someone rudely to leave
Tell someone to go away and leave you alone
Tells someone angrily to go away
Angrily tell someone to go away
A rude way to tell someone to go away without the real swear word
A short spoken word telling someone to go away now
To tell someone to go away and stop annoying you
To leave quickly and quietly or tell someone rudely to go away
To tell someone to go away using rude language
Antonyms
How Rude
- Informal
- Offensive
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'buzz' (movement/noisy flight) combined with 'off' (away) yields a literal sense of moving away, so a learner who knows both words can often infer an imperative meaning 'go away'. However, the expression is colloquial and relies on a metaphorical/insect-like image and pragmatic force, so the exact force and register are not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Buzz off comes from the image of a noisy insect you want to send away. Imagine a bee making a buzz and then flying off when you shoo it; that picture explains why the phrase means 'to go away' quickly and leave someone alone.