Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,725,428,067 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

work off

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.09 sec.
work something off 
1. Lit. to get rid of anger, anxiety, or energy by doing physical activity. I was so mad! I went out and played basketball to work my anger off. He works off nervousness by knitting.
2. . Fig. to pay off a debt through work rather than by money. I had no money so I had to work the bill off by washing dishes. I have to work off my debt.
See also: work


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
? References in classic literature
Although you are enduring pain and insult, although you, little nestling, are in agony of spirit, you actually tell me that it grieves you to disturb me, and that you will work off your debt to me with the labour of your own hands
So short a period of sleep then intervened before early morning rising that my system did not have time to work off the alcohol.
Just as she needed to work off her spleen so she had sometimes to exercise her still-existing faculty of thinking- and the pretext for that was a game of patience.
 
Idioms browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Idioms and phrases
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.