On May 16, 2007, at 20:24, Jane Viking Swanson wrote:
Hi All, I have finally remembered to write all of you with a word
question.
Lately I've seen things described as "one off". By the context I
think it
is supposed to be "one of" as in "one of a kind". I'm curious to know
what
"one off" means.
"One off", as I understand it, means "single, unique". So, yes, "one of
a kind" would work -- kinda -- as a substitute, but it's not the same
as "one of" (many). And the reason I say "one of a kind" works only
partially is that, I've only ever heard "one off" being used in a
situation where *time* is also of consideration. A "one off deal" is
something not only unique but also something that needs to be grabbed
right now, because the chance is likely to disappear later. "One of a
kind" (as in : One of a kind... Love affair...), OTOH, is timeless.
I have no idea of the origin of "one off" phrase, nor how (in what
context) it may be used now; it's something I've known for at least 20
yrs, and that's what it *used to* mean.
--
Tamara P Duvall http://t-n-lace.net/
Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland)
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