# My wife is a little too off.



## ClimbEveryMountain

A little help with this sentence.

Thanks.


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## gdiaz

Mi esposa/mujer está un poco muy apagada? bajoneada tal vez...

Un poquito mucho es una ironía para denotar gran cantidad de algo.


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## Masood

ClimbEveryMountain said:


> A little help with this sentence.
> 
> Thanks.


Hi

What do you mean when you say "My wife is a little too off."?


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## spodulike

A little more context. Solo, no dice nada. What follows?


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## ClimbEveryMountain

Well, the context is this.

This guy's just married, he's in his honeymoon with his wife but she turns out to be a totally different person, like crazy, irracional, and unbearable.


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## spatula

What's the sentence that it appears in?  It's possible it means that his wife is in a bad mood.  Such as:  _I met my ex-boyfriend yesterday and he was a little off with me.  _I'm confused by the construction you offer though; '_a little too off' _isn't something I'm familiar with.


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## ClimbEveryMountain

Well, I took it from a movie with subtitles.


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## spatula

Without more context, it's difficult to tell. A person can also be described as being _a little off the wall_ (slightly quirky, unusual) or, as I've mentioned, _a little off (with someone)_ definitely. But I've never heard of _a little too off_, and I find it difficult to guess at.


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## ClimbEveryMountain

Spatula, but I already gave the context. After realizing that his wife turned out to be a crazy, irracioanal, obnixious woman he phoned his father and said that.


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## spodulike

ClimbEveryMountain said:


> Spatula, but I already gave the context. After realizing that his wife turned out to be a crazy, irracioanal, obnixious woman he phoned his father and said that.


 En ese caso el subtítulo es inexacto. ¿Qué fue el idioma original de la película?


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## ClimbEveryMountain

The original language is English.


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## spodulike

Hmm ...
"My wife is a little too off-colour to come to the phone" 
"My wife is a little too off her head with drugs to come to the phone" 
"My wife is a little too off" 

Do you have a way that we can listen to it? (Note: It is not allowed to give a direct link to Youtube but I believe it is OK to give a search term for it)


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## carlosjoaquin

Mi esposa está un poco tocada del ala.


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## Mariposa3939

ClimbEveryMountain said:


> Well, the context is this.
> 
> This guy's just married, he's in his honeymoon with his wife but she turns out to be a totally different person, like crazy, irracional, and unbearable.


 It means exactly that. My wife is a _little too off. _This could be interpreted as crazy, irrational or unbearable. _Off _encompasses many things, crazy, nutty, daft, etc. By saying she a _little too off, _he's saying that she's more off than he's comfortable with.


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## vcostandy

Mariposa3939 said:


> This could be interpreted as crazy, irrational or unbearable. _Off _encompasses many things, crazy, nutty, daft, etc. By saying she a _little too off, _he's saying that she's more off than he's comfortable with.


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## spodulike

Mariposa3939 said:


> It means exactly that. My wife is a _little too off. _This could be interpreted as crazy, irrational or unbearable. _Off _encompasses many things, crazy, nutty, daft, etc. By saying she a _little too off, _he's saying that she's more off than he's comfortable with.


 Oh, in that case it is an AE expression. In Britain we feel that the sentence is incomplete and we need to know "off what?" 

*British English*
"She is off" 
"She is off her head"


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## carlosjoaquin

My wife is out...of her mind


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## vcostandy

Yes, spod. It is a fairly common AE expression. It's usually said a bit apologetically and knowingly - instead of saying, "john is f*cking crazy" someone might say, "john is a little..._off," _but you'd understand that john is f*cking crazy. 

another common use is when someone is mentally challenged /  mentally retarded but someone does not feel comfortable saying that or cannot recognize that someone is, then you might hear "s/he is a little..._off_" as well


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## carlosjoaquin

No concuerdo con vcostandy.

Mi esposa está un poco chalada.

No es lo mismo que:

Mi esposa está más loca que una puta cabra.


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## The-One

Out of interest, no one (in britain at least) would say "too off". It's just never used like that, in any context or meaning of the word.


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## spatula

vcostandy said:


> Yes, spod. It is a fairly common AE expression. It's usually said a bit apologetically and knowingly - instead of saying, "john is f*cking crazy" someone might say, "john is a little..._off," _but you'd understand that john is f*cking crazy.
> 
> another common use is when someone is mentally challenged / mentally retarded but someone does not feel comfortable saying that or cannot recognize that someone is, then you might hear "s/he is a little..._off_" as well


 
*But in this instance vcostandy, what's being challenged is 'a little too off'; it's the 'too' that is throwing some people here.*



The-One said:


> Out of interest, no one (in britain at least) would say "too off". It's just never used like that, in any context or meaning of the word.


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## mijoch

I guess it comes from the expression "to be off one's head". A flaming nutcase.

She's a little too off.....

She's a little off, but still too much-------give it few more years and then see.

M.


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## spatula

ClimbEveryMountain said:


> Spatula, but I already gave the context. After realizing that his wife turned out to be a crazy, irracioanal, obnixious woman he phoned his father and said that.


 
*Gently does it CEM - otherwise a reaction like this might be termed 'going off on one' in BE.  You are still not providing adequate context for anyone to be absolutely sure, and a lot of guess work is still going on here.  You've given us a little of the background situation - now tell us what is said immediately before and afterwards.*



ClimbEveryMountain said:


> The original language is English.


 
*American English?  British English?  Irish English?  Australian English?  Where is the film set?  It's clear from what's been written already that it makes more sense to those who speak AE - but if you said it to a Brit they would not be sure how to take it.*


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## Mariposa3939

vcostandy said:


> Yes, spod. It is a fairly common AE expression. It's usually said a bit apologetically and knowingly - instead of saying, "john is f*cking crazy" someone might say, "john is a little..._off," _but you'd understand that john is f*cking crazy.
> 
> another common use is when someone is mentally challenged / mentally retarded but someone does not feel comfortable saying that or cannot recognize that someone is, then you might hear "s/he is a little..._off_" as well


 I agree that it is a fairly common AE expression, in all the uses vcostandy mentions. As I said earlier in American English, it could mean many things.


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## Mariposa3939

spatula said:


> *Gently does it CEM - otherwise a reaction like this might be termed 'going off on one' in BE. You are still not providing adequate context for anyone to be absolutely sure, and a lot of guess work is still going on here. You've given us a little of the background situation - now tell us what is said immediately before and afterwards.*
> 
> 
> 
> *American English? British English? Irish English? Australian English? Where is the film set? It's clear from what's been written already that it makes more sense to those who speak AE - but if you said it to a Brit they would not be sure how to take it.*


 It sounds like an American movie. I'm assuming the husband has just found out what his new bride is like, judging from what he said about her to his father after his honeymoon, and he is complaining to his father. I assume by his using the word _"too" _he's trying to convey to his father that it is more than he is comfortable with or willing to accept.


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## bondia

The-One said:


> Out of interest, no one (in britain at least) would say "too off". It's just never used like that, in any context or meaning of the word.


 
I agree with The-One, Spatula and Spodulike


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## spatula

Mariposa3939 said:


> It sounds like an American movie. I'm assuming the husband has just found out what his new bride is like, judging from what he said about her to his father after his honeymoon, and he is complaining to his father. I assume by his using the word _"too" _he's trying to convey to his father that it is more than he is comfortable with or willing to accept.


 
Yes Mariposa, I too could assume the same.  But the point of this discussion is to arrive at something more substantial than an assumption - and to do this we must have sufficient context!  It could well be an American movie, but it's for the question-setter to give us this information.  I don't wish to give the impression that I'm objecting to your interpretation but, to play Devil's advocat, this is all speculation until we're informed otherwise.  Chances are that it _is_ the AE meaning, as it means bugger all in BE....


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## Holacomoesta

She seemed off=she was in a bad mood


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## Quiensepa

The-One said:


> Out of interest, no one (in britain at least) would say "too off". It's just never used like that, in any context or meaning of the word.


 
Ditto for the U.S.


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## mijoch

Hi.

Once the context turned up, I understood it. I accept the the form is unusual.

However---the structure is very similar to the, perhaps, more familiar-

"She's a bit too much"----once again, requiring context-----"a touch of nooky now and then is fine, but she's a bit too much".

If this sort of language advance didn't occur---a lot of us would probably be speaking PIE----apparently, a very difficult language.

M.


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## ClimbEveryMountain

Ok, here's the context. But I think we all have undestood what the character in the movie was trying to convey. However, to make it clear for all of the participants in this thread...

*Dad*: Are you OK?
*Son*: No, I'm not OK, dad. I got big, big problems here. I think Lila might be... I think she might be a little too off.
*Dad*: So, let me get this straight. You think your wife's a nutcase, because on your honermoon, in a tropical paradise, she's singing a lot, wanting to have sex around the clock and, accidentally, she got a little too much sun?
*Son*: Yes, but it sound a lot more worse than it sounds.
*Dad*: Now, you listen to me. And listen to me good. When your wife in her honeymoon asks you to cock her, you cock her good. God damn it!

His dad hangs the phone and the conversation is over.


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## ClimbEveryMountain

BTW, the language is American English and the story is set in California.


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## bondia

ClimbEveryMountain said:


> Ok, here's the context. But I think we all have undestood what the character in the movie was trying to convey. However, to make it clear for all of the participants in this thread...
> 
> *Dad*: Are you OK?
> *Son*: No, I'm not OK, dad. I got big, big problems here. I think Lila might be... I think she might be a little too off.
> *Dad*: So, let me get this straight. You think your wife's a nutcase, because on your hone*y*moon, in a tropical paradise, she's singing a lot, wanting to have sex around the clock and, accidentally, she got a little too much sun?
> *Son*: Yes, *but it sound a lot more worse than it sounds*. _but_ i_t's a lot worse than it sounds_
> *Dad*: Now, you listen to me. And listen to me good. When your wife*, on* her honeymoon*,* asks you to cock her, you cock her good. God damn it!
> 
> His dad hangs *up* (the phone) and the conversation is over.


 
There are a few errors in the original


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## Quiensepa

Speaking as one who grew up in California (and now lives in New York City), I have never heard the expression "cock her". Also, "more worse" is very bad grammar, and "too off" is unusual and awkward. Is it possible, the characters in the movie are immigrants and English is their second language (it sounds like something I might say in Spanish!). Or perhaps they are uneducated? The dialogue then might make sense.


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## ClimbEveryMountain

I made the mistakes. The original dialogue is just like you said. But the expression I asked about is correct.


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## aherrera09

I think when people say "little too off" it means she is off the 'normal' limit/range. But then again how can you determine or measure 'normal'??


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## spatula

ClimbEveryMountain said:


> Ok, here's the context. But I think we all have undestood what the character in the movie was trying to convey. However, to make it clear for all of the participants in this thread...
> 
> *Dad*: Are you OK?
> *Son*: No, I'm not OK, dad. I got big, big problems here. I think Lila might be... I think she might be a little too off.
> *Dad*: So, let me get this straight. You think your wife's a nutcase, because on your honermoon, in a tropical paradise, she's singing a lot, wanting to have sex around the clock and, accidentally, she got a little too much sun?
> *Son*: Yes, but it sound a lot more worse than it sounds.
> *Dad*: Now, you listen to me. And listen to me good. When your wife in her honeymoon asks you to cock her, you cock her good. God damn it!
> 
> His dad hangs the phone and the conversation is over.


 
It seems that your question is answered in the very next sentence, doesn't it?  The Dad's response is to clarify that his son, 'thinks his wife is a nutcase.'  I don't think there's much more to add about the intended significance, other than to say that it remains very odd.


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## BLT

And I just want to add my voice to everyone else's who has said that "a little too off" is a very unusual expression. I'd say it isn't an expression. "A little off" is an expression, in the US at least; "a little too off" is humor based on that, I think.


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