lay off - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

lay someone off (from something)

to put an end to someone's employment at something. The automobile factory laid five hundred people off from work. They laid off a lot of people. We knew they were going to lay a lot of people off.

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lay off (someone or something)

to leave someone or something alone. Lay off the booze for a while, why don't ya? Lay off me! I didn't do anything!

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lay off (someone or something)

to leave someone or something alone. Lay off the booze for a while, why don't ya? Lay off me! I didn't do anything!

See also: lay

lay somebody off also lay off somebody

to force a worker to give up a job, usually because of high costs or other business reasons She was laid off along with many others when the company moved to California. Our choices are to lay off ten workers, or raise our prices by 10%.

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lay off (something)

to stop doing or using something She usually runs several miles every day but lays off in the hot weather.

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? References in classic literature
Can I take her into the spare room to lay off her hat when she comes? Anne Of Green Gables by Montgomery, Lucy Maud View in context They couldn't hit no project that suited exactly; so at last the duke said he reckoned he'd lay off and work his brains an hour or two and see if he couldn't put up something on the Arkansaw village; and the king he allowed he would drop over to t'other village without any plan, but just trust in Providence to lead him the profitable way -- meaning the devil, I reckon. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain, Mark View in context There were already a couple of score of passengers aboard, some of whom had expended their last money in securing a passage, but the captain lay off the Blackwater until five in the afternoon, picking up passengers until the seated decks were even dangerously crowded. The War Of The Worlds by Wells, H.G. View in context More results

? References in classic literature

Can I take her into the spare room to lay off her hat when she comes?

Anne Of Green Gables by Montgomery, Lucy Maud View in context

They couldn't hit no project that suited exactly; so at last the duke said he reckoned he'd lay off and work his brains an hour or two and see if he couldn't put up something on the Arkansaw village; and the king he allowed he would drop over to t'other village without any plan, but just trust in Providence to lead him the profitable way -- meaning the devil, I reckon.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain, Mark View in context

There were already a couple of score of passengers aboard, some of whom had expended their last money in securing a passage, but the captain lay off the Blackwater until five in the afternoon, picking up passengers until the seated decks were even dangerously crowded.

The War Of The Worlds by Wells, H.G. View in context

More results