Off the hook
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
Freed from responsibility, trouble, or obligation, escaping a sticky situation with relief or luck. It carries a tone of liberation or sly evasion, used for dodging blame, chores, or peril, blending triumph with a hint of dodging.
Origin
From 19th-century fishing, where a fish 'off the hook' escaped capture-literal relief turned slang by the 1840s in America. It reflects rural roots and tech's rise, merging into a versatile idiom of freedom from hooks of all kinds.
Usage Examples
- She's off the hook since someone else confessed.
- He got off the hook for chores by leaving early.
- The rain let us off the hook for yard work.
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