take off

take off idiom
  1. Remove, as in Take off your coat and stay for a while, or I took my foot off the brake. [c. 1300]
  2. Deduct, decrease, as in He took 20 percent off the original price, or I want you to trim my hair, but please don't take off too much. [c. 1700]
  3. Carry or take away, as in The passengers were taken off one by one. [Late 1800s]
  4. Also, take oneself off. Leave, go away, as in I'm taking off now, or We take ourselves off for China next month, or, as an imperative, Take yourself off right now! [First half of 1800s]
  5. Move forward quickly, as in The dog took off after the car.
  6. Become well known or popular, or achieve sudden growth, as in That actor's career has really taken off, or Sales took off around the holidays. [Mid-1900s]
  7. Rise in flight, as in The airplane took off on time. [Mid-1800s]
  8. Discontinue, as in The railroad took off the commuter special. [Mid-1700s]
  9. Imitate humorously or satirically, as in He had a way of taking off the governor that made us howl with laughter. [Mid-1700s]
  10. Withhold service, as in I'm taking off from work today because of the funeral. [First half of 1900s]

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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