| 释义 |
Idiom on and off and off and on Theme: OCCASIONALLY occasionally; erratically; now and again. (Reversible.)I feel better off and on, but I'm not well yet.He only came to class on and off.
off and onIntermittently. It's been snowing off and on since last night, but not much has accumulated. We had been dating off and on for about a year, but we didn't get serious until last month. off and onAlso, on and off. 1. Intermittently, from time to time. For example, I read his column off and on, or We've been working on the garden all summer, on and off. [Early 1500s] 2. Also, off again, on again; on again, off again. Uncertain, vacillating, as in Theirs is an off again, on again relationship, or The peace talks are on again, off again. Some believe this term originally referred to minor railroad accidents, where a train went off track and then on again. [Mid-1800s] off and on intermittently; now and then.ˌoff and ˈon, ˌon and ˈoff not regularly; not continuously: It rained on and off all week. |