off, noun

Origin:
Elliptical for day off or time off.
slang
In urban (mainly township) English: a ‘day off’; free time.
1966 L.G. Berger Where’s Madam 183The watchboy supplied by Norman’s firm hadn’t come back from his ‘off’ which is the native abbreviation for ‘day off’.
1971 Informant, Cape Town, Western CapeI get my off once a week, on Sundays.
1980 J. Cock Maids & Madams 27The only time she sees her children is during her ‘off’ on Sunday afternoons.
1983 F.G. Butler Bursting World 156We did have one lovely day with my sister Christine on her ‘off’ from Groote Schuur, lazing on the beach at Camps Bay.
1987 Learn & Teach No.1, 3Agnes Vilakazi of Johannesburg..said, ‘We do not get nice “offs”. We don’t get week-ends and holidays off. This is not right.’
a ‘day off’; free time.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

19661987
oefening, nounn.offal, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English