Vocabulary - Phrasal Verbs - To go off

i. (To go bad - food/milk)

Examples:

    This milk smells like it has gone off / it's off.

    Don't be so fussy! I'm sure those sausages haven't gone off/aren't off.

 

ii. (To ring - alarm clock/bell)

Examples:

    My alarm clock went off an hour earlier than it was supposed to this morning.

    You'd be better off without a car alarm; they're always going off at the wrong time.

 

Note that To go off can only be used for an alarm and not, for example, for the telephone or a doorbell. One could, however, say "I wasn't happy when the phone went at six o'clock this morning." 

 

iii. (To explode, to fire, i.e. a bomb or a gun)

Examples:

    Have you heard about that bomb which went off in the city centre yesterday?

    He claims that the gun went off accidentally, but I've heard about his past and I'm a bit suspicious.

 

iv. (To stop liking something or someone) Colloquial

Examples:

    I've gone off her coffee. I think we'd all be better off if she just offered us tea.

    She went off her last boyfriend after hearing about his past relationships.

    I'm going off the idea* of doing business with them, they're far too fussy! (* I'm changing my mind)

 

v. (To be sent - a letter or a fax - often used in the office)

Example:

    Quite a number of letters went off this morning but they won't arrive for ages because of the strike.

 

vi. (To leave for a particular place, to travel around)

Examples:

    On the telephone: I'm sorry, you've missed her; she went (off) to work quite a while ago.

    I heard about your journey; you went (off) round the world, didn't you?

 

vii. (To be switched off/to stop working - usually something powered by electricity or gas)

Example:

    This room smells stale because the air conditioning went off during the night .*

* Compare with “The air conditioning is off”. which means that it was not switched on in the first place.