A: Would you like to catch a movie with me tonight? B: Are you sure? I thought you had that big work event tonight. A: No, it got canceled, so I’m off the hook. Note: This idiom means “released, allowed or able to avoid blame, responsibility, obligation or difficulty.” The origin of this idiom can be found in fishing. A fish on the hook has been caught and is considered to be out of options. It’s trapped unless it is released. Just like a fish off the hook, someone who is “off the hook” has been released from obligations or commitments. |