write (redirected from writing off)

be nothing much to write home about

to not be especially good or exciting. The food was OK, but nothing to write home about.

See also: about, home, much, nothing

fit/write something on the back of a postage stamp

if you say you could write what you know about a subject on the back of a postage stamp, you mean you know very little about that subject. What I know about car maintenance could be written on the back of a postage stamp.

See also: back, fit, stamp

something to write home about

be nothing much to write home about - to not be especially good or exciting. If England won the World Cup, that would be something to write home about!

See also: about, home, something

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nothing to write home about

not something that is especially good or exciting. The food was all right but nothing to write home about.

Usage notes: often used as a humorous way to describe something that is obviously bad: War is nothing to write home about.

See also: about, home, nothing

write in (something)

to send a letter or electronic message to an organization or business. A lot of customers write in their complaints and get nothing from the company in response. Write in today and let us know what you think.

write someone/something off

to decide that someone or something is not important. Most critics wrote him off as a minor artist until he received that huge grant. Everyone had pretty much written off the team after they lost their tournament last week. Americans no longer dream of their children becoming president — in fact, many write it off as not worth the effort.

write off something

1. to accept that a debt will not be paid. Last year the bank wrote off $17 million in bad loans. I'll probably never see the money I loaned my brother, so I guess I'll write it off.

2. to decide that something will not be successful. For a long time, both political parties have written off the Greens. Since they behave oddly, people tend to write them off as weirdos, but many members of the group are important business people.

3. to charge something as a business expense. You can write off your cell phone and all the costs of service for it. I'm giving the furniture to a local church and writing it off as a donation.

write up something

to tell about something by writing it. We had such a wonderful trip, I wanted to write it up in my diary before I forgot a lot of details.

Usage notes: often said about creating a finished document: We have to write up the lab report for this chemistry experiment.