to follow off a cliff
1
8.4
- idiom
- Informal
- Don't follow off a cliff just because everyone else is doing it!
Examples
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Many investors were criticized for choosing to follow off a cliff during the market crash.
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Teachers encourage students to question rather than follow off a cliff when it comes to trends.
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He tends to follow off a cliff whenever his friends make hasty decisions.
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Many people followed off a cliff during the latest trend.
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He tends to follow off a cliff whenever his friends make impulsive choices, leading him to regret his decisions later.
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Many investors were criticized for choosing to follow off a cliff during the market crash without conducting proper analysis.
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Teachers encourage students to think critically rather than follow off a cliff when it comes to popular trends.
Synonyms
12
9.8
To believe an idea without asking questions because you strongly support it
5
3.2
To do what most people do without using your own ideas
How Blindly
- Informal
1
8.4
123
2.9
- Informal
5
3.2
284
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal constituents 'follow' + 'off' + 'cliff' create a vivid image of trailing someone until you fall from a cliff, so there is an obvious link between the parts and the idea of harmful consequence. However, the MWE's intended figurative meaning 'to blindly follow someone to your detriment' depends on metaphorical/pragmatic inference (and cultural knowledge of sayings about jumping off cliffs), so a B1 learner who only knows the words would not reliably derive the idiomatic sense.
Etymology
The expression follow off a cliff may come from the picture of people who follow a leader and walk straight off a cliff because they do not think for themselves. That's why it means 'to follow someone blindly into danger or harm'.