One-Off is not a New Expression

One-Off is not a New Expression â€Å"One-Off† is not a New Expression â€Å"One-Off† is not a New Expression By Maeve Maddox Barbara McNichol forwarded me a question about the expression one-off as used to mean â€Å"one of a kind.† I really thought the correct slang was one OF, not OFF, as in short for one of a kind. So if thats true, how did one of morph into one off? Or is it simply that people are spelling it incorrectly? Although the definition of one-off contains the word of, the expression has always been one-off. The expression is fairly new in American usage. It began as a British expression and derives from manufacturing jargon. Its first recorded date of use is 1934. As a noun, one-off is defined in the OED as A manufactured product made as the only one of its kind; a prototype; (more generally) something not repeated. One-off can also be used as an adjective: Made or done as the only one of its kind; unique, not repeated. The popularity of the expression in headlines on the web will ensure that its use will no longer be confined to speakers of British English: Vespa builds a one-off, four seater ‘Stretch Scooter’ Exclusive one-off London Bestival Party for 2010 Was Nigerian bomber a one-off? Darling announces one-off shock tax to break bonus culture The Top 10 Weirdest One-off Characters On Lost Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†16 Misquoted QuotationsPreposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms