What is "off and on"

Off \Off\ ([o^]f; 115), adv. [OE. of, orig. the same word as R. of, prep., AS. of, adv. & prep. [root]194. See Of.] In a general sense, denoting from or away from; as:

1. Denoting distance or separation; as, the house is a mile off.

2. Denoting the action of removing or separating; separation; as, to take off the hat or cloak; to cut off, to pare off, to clip off, to peel off, to tear off, to march off, to fly off, and the like.

3. Denoting a leaving, abandonment, departure, abatement, interruption, or remission; as, the fever goes off; the pain goes off; the game is off; all bets are off.

4. Denoting a different direction; not on or towards: away; as, to look off.

5. Denoting opposition or negation. [Obs.]

   The questions no way touch upon puritanism, either off or on.
   --Bp. Sanderson.

   From off, off from; off. ``A live coal . . . taken with the tongs from off the altar.''
   --Is. vi.

6. Off and on.

   1. Not constantly; not regularly; now and then; occasionally.

   2. (Naut.) On different tacks, now toward, and now away from, the land. To be off.

      1. To depart; to escape; as, he was off without a moment's warning.

      2. To be abandoned, as an agreement or purpose; as, the bet was declared to be off. [Colloq.] To come off, To cut off, To fall off, To go off, etc. See under Come, Cut, Fall, Go, etc. To get off.

         1. To utter; to discharge; as, to get off a joke.

         2. To go away; to escape; as, to get off easily from a trial. [Colloq.] To take off To do a take-off on, To take off, to mimic, lampoon, or impersonate. To tell off

            1. (Mil.), to divide and practice a regiment or company in the several formations, preparatory to marching to the general parade for field exercises.
               --Farrow.

            2. to rebuke (a person) for an improper action; to scold; to reprimand.

               To be well off, to be in good condition.

               To be ill off, To be badly off, to be in poor condition.

adv. 1 (context idiomatic English) intermittently. 2 (context nautical English) On different tacks, now toward, and now away from, the land. alt. 1 (context idiomatic English) intermittently. 2 (context nautical English) On different tacks, now toward, and now away from, the land.

adv. not regularly; "they phone each other off and on" [syn: on and off]