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off the hook

Of a telephone, having an open connection; not hung up.

Etymology:

  • An allusion to a fish caught on the hook of a fishing line.
  • Referring to the candlestick phone, which in order to hang up, the receiver must be hung on a hook. Leaving the receiver off the hook would prevent it from being able to receive calls.
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I think he left the phone off the hook so that nobody would call him.

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Submitted on September 01, 2009

Additional definitions for 'off the hook':

off the hookPerforming extraordinarily well.
off the hookRelieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure.
See them all »

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to off the hook

off the railsoff the top of one's headoff the gridoff the gridoff the markoff the beaten pathoff the wagonoff topicoff the gridoff the tableOff the Top of Your Headoff the reservationoff the beaten trackoff the rails

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    "off the hook." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 Oct. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/off-the-hook_5631>.

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