Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[odds are against]{v. phr.} The likelihood of success is not probable; the chances of success are poor. •/The odds are against her getting here before Monday./

[odds-on]{adj.}, {informal} Almost certain; almost sure; probable. •/Ed is the odds-on choice for class president, because he has good sense and good humor./

[of age]{adj. phr.} 1a. Old enough to be allowed to do or manage something. •/Mary will be of driving age on her next birthday./ Contrast: OVER AGE, UNDER AGE. 1b. Old enough to vote; having the privileges of adulthood. •/The age at which one is considered of age to vote, or of age to buy alcoholic drinks, or of age to be prosecuted as an adult, varies within the United States./ 2. Fully developed; mature. •/Education for the foreign born came of age when bilingual education was accepted as a necessary part of the public school system./

[of a piece]{adj. phr.} Of the same kind; in line. — Usually used with "with". •/His quitting the job is of a piece with his dropping out of school./

[of course]{adv. phr.} 1. As you would expect; naturally. •/Bob hit Herman, and Herman hit him back, of course./ •/The rain came pouring down, and of course the track meet was canceled./ 2. Without a doubt; certainly; surely. •/Of course you know that girl; she’s in your class./

[off a duck’s back] See: LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK’S BACK

[off-again, on-again] or [on-again, off-again]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Not settled; changeable; uncertain. •/John and Susan had an off-again, on-again romance./ •/I don’t like this off-again, on-again business. Are we going to have the party or not?/

[off and on] also [on and off]{adv.} Not regularly; occasionally; sometimes. •/Joan wrote to a pen pal in England off and on for several years./ •/It rained off and on all day./ — Sometimes used with hyphens like an adjective. •/A worn-out cord may make a hearing aid work in an off-and-on way./ Compare: BY FITS AND STARTS, FROM TIME TO TIME, NOW AND THEN.

[off balance]{adj. phr.} 1. Not in balance; not able to stand up straight and not fall; not able to keep from turning over or falling; unsteady. •/Never stand up in a canoe; it will get off balance and turn over./ •/Paul was speeding along on his bicycle, when an unexpected hole in the road caught him off balance and he fell over./ 2. Not prepared; not ready; unable to meet something unexpected. •/Our quarterback kept the other team off balance by changing often from line plays to passes and tricky end runs./ •/The teacher’s surprise test caught the class off balance, and nearly everyone got a poor mark./

[off base]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Not agreeing with fact; wrong. •/The idea that touching a toad causes warts is off base./ •/When Tom said that the teacher’s explanation did not agree with the book, the teacher was embarrassed at being caught off base./

[offbeat]{adj.}, {informal} Nonconventional; different from the usual; odd. •/Linguistics used to be an offbeat field, but nowadays every self-respecting university has a linguistics department./