off-the-wall
Appearance
See also: off the wall
English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Perhaps from baseball or other games played with a ball, alluding to unpredictable bounces; but compare also bounce off the walls.
Pronunciation
[edit]Audio (General Australian): (file)
Adjective
[edit]off-the-wall (comparative more off-the-wall, superlative most off-the-wall)
- (idiomatic) Wildly unconventional; bizarre; absurd.
- What kind of a harebrained, off-the-wall idea is that?
- She is a very off-the-wall character.
- 2015 March 19, Alessandra Stanley, “'Empire' Finale Review: A Sizzling End to Season One”, in New York Times[1]:
- What makes it surprising, though, are the glimmers of wit and self-awareness beneath all the rap star swagger and over-the-top confrontations. Even the fervid finale had a few off-the-wall side jokes.
- (idiomatic) Of a person's behaviour: greatly inappropriate.
- 2012, Reginald Pierce, The Paladin, page 204:
- All of their friends were amazed that they were familiar with a war hero. Some began to understand Chips' moods and drinking. His "off the wall" behaviour at times. And unknowingly they were "forgiving" him.
Related terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]wildly unconventional; bizarre; absurd
greatly inappropriate
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