skim

skim something off (of) something and skim something off 

1. Lit. to scoop something off the surface of something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) The cook skimmed the fat off the stew. The cook skimmed off the fat.

2. Fig. to remove a portion of something of value, such as money, from an account. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) The auditor was skimming a few dollars a day off the bank's cash flow. Kelly skimmed off a few dollars each day.

skim over something 

1. Lit. to glide across something. The sailboat skimmed over the waves like a bird. The bird skimmed over the treetops, darting and dodging.

2. Fig. to go over or review something hastily. I just skimmed over the material and still got an A on the test! Please skim over chapter four for Thursday.

skim through something

to go through something hastily; to read through something hastily. She skimmed through the catalogs, looking for a nice gift for Gary. I will skim through your manuscript and see whether it looks promising.

See also: through

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skim off something also skim something off

to take something valuable The colleges with very high standards skim off the best high school graduates. State and local governments skim tax money off the company's profits.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of skim off ( to remove something floating on a liquid)