Dictionary

score off en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

score + off

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, qualifier:inseparable, slang, transitive) To defeat (especially in an argument), get the better of, achieve a success over, gain an advantage or win points over, make a point to the detriment or at the expense of, make appear foolish. Sometimes with particle on (someone).
   • The old hag never missed out on any opportunity to score off on her daughter-in-law.
   • Aunt Laura wore an air of overpowering satisfaction. Evidently she had already triumphed, and she smiled so cheerfully at Edwin that he felt convinced that she had scored him off in some way.
   • Whether it was politics, trade, competition in industry, snobbery, boasting, self-advertisement, or gossip, the object was to score off one's adversary and put him down.
   • You'd be worked up if you had just been scored off by Aubrey Upjohn, with that loathsome self-satisfied look on his face as if he'd been rebuking a pimply pupil at his beastly school for shuffling his feet in church. 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XVIII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:
2. (idiomatic, separable, transitive) To delete or remove (especially from a list); to score out, strike out or strike off, cross out or cross off; to draw a line through.
   • You can score my name off, I quit.
   • More people were simply scored off the list of unemployed than found employment through employment bureaux.
   • On the certificate of birth of Francis E. Dec, the name “Frank” has been scored off and “Francis” inserted above.
   • He will keep the roll and score off the name of any Boy absent twice.
   • You can score off my name, I quit.
3. (archaic, slang, transitive) To defeat (someone) verbally; to win a confrontation with words; to tell (someone) off.
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see score, off. To score from.
   • A field goal or point after touchdown may be scored off a drop kick.

Forms

Deriveds

score-off

Translations (39)

es borrar (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fr exclure (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · es señorear (to gain an advantage on somebody) · fr jeter (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fi pistää paremmaksi (to gain an advantage on somebody) · bg зачерквам (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · it afferrare la meglio (to gain an advantage on somebody) · fr flanquer dehors (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · es cancelar (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fr vider (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · es rayar (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fr aplatir (to gain an advantage on somebody) · fr rejeter (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · es dominar (to gain an advantage on somebody) · bg получавам предимство (to gain an advantage on somebody) · fr foutre dehors (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fr écraser (to gain an advantage on somebody) · es poder más que (to gain an advantage on somebody) · fr biffer (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fr humilier (to gain an advantage on somebody) · es echar fuera (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · es mandar a la mierda (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fr mortifier (to gain an advantage on somebody) · es aplastar (to gain an advantage on somebody) · it cancellare (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · es botar (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fr évincer (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · es joder (to gain an advantage on somebody) · fr dominer (to gain an advantage on somebody) · es mortificar (to gain an advantage on somebody) · fr prendre le dessus sur (to gain an advantage on somebody) · fr blackbouler (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fi vetää yli (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · es tachar (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fr barrer (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · es mandar al carajo (to scratch somebody out of a list or a group) · fr enculer (to gain an advantage on somebody) · fr baiser (to gain an advantage on somebody) · es humillar (to gain an advantage on somebody)