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get off lightly
1. To have or face less difficulty than would normally be the case. Whereas some graduate students tell horror stories of the hours upon hours of work they have to do for their programs, I feel like I got off quite lightly with mine! Last summer, we seemed to have endless rain, but we got off lightly this year.
2. To face less severe punishment than might be expected, or to escape punishment entirely. I hope you realize you got off lightly. If your uncle—the senator—hadn't intervened, you'd be in jail right now. In the end, we only had to pay a small fine for the damage, so I'd say we got off pretty lightly!
not take (something) lightly
To regard something with a great amount of seriousness or gravity. I hope you aren't taking these allegations lightly—they could mean a life in prison! I can promise you that I won't take this job interview lightly.
take (something) lightly
To regard something without much seriousness; to be very casual or carefree about something. I hope you aren't taking these allegations lightly—they could mean a life in prison! I've learned to take my work more lightly in recent years. There are just more important things to worry about.
tread lightly
1. To walk carefully, so as not to disturb what is underfoot or nearby. This is rare alpine vegetation, so tread lightly. Tread lightly so you don't wake up the baby.
2. To be extra tactful in one's dealing with someone so as not to offend or aggravate. The boss is really irritable today, so if you have bad news for him, tread lightly. Tread lightly if you ask Mrs. Smith for extra credit—she usually gets annoyed with those requests.
easy come, easy go
Cliché said to explain the loss of something that required only a small amount of effort to acquire in the first place. Ann found twenty dollars in the morning and spent it foolishly at noon. "Easy come, easy go," she said. John spends his money as fast as he can earn it. With John it's easy come, easy go.
get off
1. to start off (on a friendship). Tom and Bill had never met before. They seemed to get off all right, though. I'm glad they got off so well.
2. to leave; to depart. What time did they get off? We have to get off early in the morning before the traffic gets heavy.
3. Go to get off (easy); get off (of) someone or something; get off (of) something; get off something; get off to something; get off with something.
get off (easy)
and get off (lightly)to receive very little punishment (for doing something wrong). It was a serious crime, but Mary got off easy. Billy's punishment was very light. Considering what he did, he got off lightly.
get off (with something)
to receive only a light punishment for something. Let's hope John gets off with a light sentence. Max got off with only a few years in prison.
get off
(of) someone or something and get off to get down from someone or something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) Please get off of me. I can't play piggyback anymore. Get off of the sofa!
get off
(of) something and get off Inf. to stop discussing the topic that one is supposed to be discussing [and start discussing something else]; to stray from the topic at hand. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) I wish you wouldn't get off the subject so much. This writer gets off of his topic all the time.
get off
(something) to climb down from something. Please get off the stairs. You know you shouldn't play on the stairs. I wish that the children would get off that ladder before they fall off.
get off
(to something) to leave for something. I've got to get off to my violin lesson. We have to get off to the hospital immediately!
get off (with something)
to receive only a light punishment for something. Let's hope John gets off with a light sentence. Max got off with only a few years in prison.
get someone off
1. to get someone cleared of a criminal charge. Ted's lawyer got him off, although we all knew he was guilty. I hope someone can get her off. She is innocent no matter how it looks.
2. to get someone freed from a responsibility. (See also get off the hook.) I think I can get you off. What do I need to do to get myself off?
get someone or something off someone or something
and get someone or something offto remove someone or something from someone, oneself, or something. Come in and get those wet clothes off. Get him off of me!
get something off (to someone or something)
and get something offto send something to someone or something. I have to get a letter off to Aunt Mary. Did you get off all your packages?
once-over-lightly
1. Fig. a quick and careless treatment. (A noun. Said of an act of cleaning, studying, examination, or appraisal.) Bill gave his geometry the once-over-lightly and then quit studying. Ann, you didn't wash the dishes properly. They only got a once-over-lightly.
2. Fig. cursory; in a quick and careless manner. (An adverb.) Tom studied geometry once-over-lightly. Ann washed the dishes once-over-lightly.
get somebody off
to help someone avoid punishment Milligan was charged with fraud, but his lawyer got him off.
get off (scot-free)
to avoid punishment or an unpleasant responsibility She got off with just a small fine. If you don't go to the police about it, he'll get off scot-free! She was left to care for her parents while her brother got off scot-free.
Related vocabulary: beat the rapeasy come, easy go
(informal) something that you say in order to describe someone who thinks that everything is easy to achieve, especially earning money, and who therefore does not worry about anything Les could certainly spend money. Easy come, easy go it was with him.
easy come, easy go
Readily won and readily lost, as in Easy come, easy go-that's how it is for Mark when he plays the stock market. This phrase states a truth known since ancient times and expressed in numerous proverbs with slightly different wording ( lightly come, lightly go; quickly come, quickly go). The adverb easy was substituted in the early 1800s.
get off
1. Dismount, leave a vehicle, as in She got off the horse right away, or Let's get off the train at the next stop. [Late 1600s]
2. Start, as on a trip; leave. For example, We got off at the crack of dawn. [Mid-1700s]
3. Fire a round of ammunition; also, send away. For example, He got off two shots, but the deer fled, or I got off that letter just in time.
4. Escape from punishment; also, obtain a lesser penalty or release for someone. For example, He apologized so profusely that he was sure to get off, or The attorney got her client off with a slap on the wrist. This sense is sometimes amplified to get off easy or get off lightly. Where there is no punishment at all, the expression is sometimes put as get off scot-free, originally meaning "be free from paying a fine or tax ( scot)," dating from the 1500s. [Mid-1600s]
5. Remove, take off, as in I can't seem to get this paint off the car. [Second half of 1600s]
6. Succeed in uttering, especially a joke. For example, Carl always manages to get off a good one before he gets serious. [Mid-1800s]
7. Have the effrontery to do or say something. For example, Where does he get off telling me what to do? [Colloquial; early 1900s]
8. Experience orgasm, as in She never did get off. [Slang; first half of 1900s]
9. Also,
get off of one. Stop bothering or criticizing one, as in
Get off me right now! or
If you don't get off of me I'm walking out. [
Slang; c. 1940] Also see
get off on;
off one's back.
once over lightly
Cursorily, quickly, as in I did go over the program once over lightly, but perhaps I should read it more carefully. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]
get off
v.1. To remove oneself from something that supports, carries, or holds: I got off my chair and ran down the hall. After we got off the plane, we picked up our baggage. Get off the couch!
2. To remove something from a supporting, carrying, or holding thing: Get the cat off the table!
3. To start, as on a trip; leave. It took so long to pack that we didn't get off until noon.
4. To send something; transmit something: I'll get a letter off to you next week.
5. To cause something to be emitted, as when firing a weapon: The hunter got off two shots before the deer disappeared. The archer got three arrows off before hitting the bull's-eye.
6. To escape, as from punishment or danger: They thought the judge would sentence them harshly, but somehow they got off.
7. To obtain a release or lesser penalty for someone: The attorney got her client off with just a small fine.
8. To get permission to leave one's workplace: The sales crew got off early and went out for a walk.
9. Slang To stop pressuring, pestering, or domineering someone: The boss thought the employees were lazy and didn't get off them the whole day. Get off me!—I can't work with you watching over me.
10. Slang To feel great pleasure or gratification from something: They really got off on that roller coaster ride at the amusement park. I don't really get off on photography.
11. Slang To cause someone to feel great pleasure or gratification; satisfy someone: That movie really didn't get me off.
12. Vulgar Slang To achieve orgasm.
13. Vulgar Slang To cause someone to achieve orgasm.
get off
verbonce over lightly
1. mod. quickly and superficially; carelessly; cursorily. (This is hyphenated before a nominal.) He looked at it once over lightly and agreed to do it.
2. n. a perfunctory examination; a quick glance. Once over lightly is not enough.