Note: This idiom is used in spoken English. It’s a very informal phrase that would be considered impolite (rude) to anyone that you do not know very well.
Why do people say knock it off?
2 Answers. Etymology online says knock it off is a request given to an auctioneer to end bidding (by knocking his gavel). While the entry puts the first usage as 1880, the same entry cites a US Senate record of 1834.
Is knock off a slang?
(tr) slang to stop doing something, used as a commandknock it off! (tr) slang to have sexual intercourse with; to seduce.
What does knock it down mean in slang?
slang To decrease something. slang Reduce the price of something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between “knock” and “down.” Don’t tell my boss, but I can knock it down a couple hundred bucks for you.
Is it cut it off or cut it out?
The most common use of cut out is ‘to shape an item by cutting a larger element’; for instance, if I have a piece of paper, I could ‘cut out a paper doll’. To cut off is to sever or detach; if you “cut off your own arm”, then either you no longer have an arm, or you need major surgery to get it re-attached.
How do you use knock off?
used to tell someone to stop doing something that annoys you: Oh, knock it off Alex, I’m really not in the mood for your jokes.
What does knock on mean?
adjective [ADJECTIVE noun] If there is a knock-on effect, one action or event causes several other events to happen one after the other. [British]
Where did phrase knock on wood come from?
Knocking on wood is thought to come from the folklore of the ancient Indo-Europeans, or possibly people who predated them, who believed that trees were home to various spirits. Touching a tree would invoke the protection or blessing of the spirit within.
What does it mean to knock off work?
phrasal verb. When you knock off, you finish work at the end of the day or before a break.
What does it mean to knock a girl down?
to hit or push someone, especially accidentally, so that he or she falls to the ground: She was knocked down by a bus. I saw that bike rider knock a lady down.
What is the meaning of knocked out?
1 : to produce roughly or hastily. 2a(1) : to defeat (a boxing opponent) by a knockout. (2) : to make unconscious the drug knocked him out. b : to make inoperative or useless electricity was knocked out by the storm. c : to get rid of : eliminate knocked out illegal gambling.
What are synonyms for knock off?
Synonyms for Knock off: n. •capture (noun) winnings, taking captive, falls, takings, run in, laying hold of, snatchings, gainings, obtainings. v. •kill (verb) liquidate, slay, zap, waste, dispose of, bump off, assassinate, murder, execute, kill, blow away, rub out, snuff out, stretch out. •steal (verb) knock over, plunder, pinch, filch.
What does knocked off mean?
an act or instance of knocking off. an unlicensed copy of something, especially fashion clothing, intended to be sold at a lower price than the original.
What does the verb ‘knock’ mean?
Knock (verb) to strike with something hard or heavy; to move by striking; to drive (a thing) against something; as, to knock a ball with a bat; to knock the head against a post; to knock a lamp off the table
What is the meaning of knock out?
knock out. 1. verb To cause something to fall out of something else by striking or colliding with it, either intentionally or unintentionally. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between “knock” and “out.”.