pop off

pop off idiom
  1. Leave abruptly or hurriedly, as in I'm just going to pop off and mail some letters.
  2. Die suddenly, as in No one expected her to pop off like that. [Colloquial; second half of 1700s]
  3. Speak thoughtlessly in an angry outburst, as in Don't pop off at me—complain to whoever's responsible. [Slang; c. 1930]
  4. pop someone off. Kill someone, as in The sniper popped off at least three men. [Slang; early 1800s] All four usages transfer pop in the sense of “explode” to other kinds of sudden or violent behavior.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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