Concetti Chiave
- 'Call off' means to cancel or stop something, such as an event or a planned action.
- 'Call off' can also imply postponement, like in sports when a game is delayed due to weather conditions.
- The phrase 'call off the dogs' is used to mean stopping criticism or attack on someone.
- 'Put off' means to postpone or defer an action to a later time, often to avoid a current obligation.
- Being 'put off' can also mean being offended or discouraged by someone’s behavior or attitude.
Meaning of 'call off'
To call something off is to cancel or stop it. Call off can also mean to distract or take away.
Ex: The bride got nervous and called off her wedding. It took a month to return all the gifts she'd already received.
Ex: After I presented a witness to the fight in the cafeteria, and she told the head teacher that I had not been involved, he called off my three¬ day suspension.
The phrase, called the game, is a shortened version of called off. A baseball game might be called due to rain. In most cases, this is a postponement, and the game will resume when the weather improves. The expression call off the dogs means to stop criticizing or attacking someone.
Ex: Officials called the golf match because it became too dark to play. They will finish the final holes tomorrow.
Ex: When Tom was working for the evening news, he was told to interview a hermit. Tom has always thought only crazy people liked living alone and had to call off the dogs to get that hermit's interview.
Meaning of 'put off'
When you put off something, you postpone it or defer it to a later time. If you keep making excuses not to have lunch with a coworker, you are putting him off. You may put off doing something to get rid of the obligation.
Ex: Because I did not want to go on the Caribbean cruise with my cousin, John, I put off giving him my answer until it was too late to book a cabin.
To be put off is to be offended in some way. A person's superior attitude about everything may put you off. A familiar piece of advice is to never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. It means you should do not delay doing something you can do right now.
Ex: If you put off doing your homework, you will have twice as much to do tomorrow. You might not finish everything you need to do. Just remember what granny used to say, "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today".
Domande da interrogazione
- What does it mean to "call off" an event or action?
- How is the phrase "put off" typically used in everyday language?
To "call off" something means to cancel or stop it. It can also imply distracting or taking away attention. For example, a wedding can be called off if the bride gets nervous, or a suspension can be called off if new evidence is presented.
"Put off" is used to describe postponing or deferring an action to a later time. It can also mean being offended by something. For instance, delaying a decision about a trip or being put off by someone's superior attitude.
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