# Preposition: Get <off, off of> me; her .....



## roniy

"get off me" or "get off of me "

Which one is the correct way ???


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## Moogey

Both are correct. If some guy came charging down the tackled me down to the ground, I can say either. (Sorry for my lame examples, they humor my small mind )

-M


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## cirrus

I disagree.  Get off me is correct.  Get off of me is something you hear lots for example in the SE of England but to my mind the "of" isn't needed.


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## Moogey

cirrus said:
			
		

> I disagree.  Get off me is correct.  Get off of me is something you hear lots for example in the SE of England but to my mind the "of" isn't needed.



"Get off of me" is heard as often as "Get off me" in America. Must be one of the many AE/BE variations.

-M


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## danielfranco

Often, when I was dating, I would hear either one at the end of the date. To my ears, "get off me" sounds a bit better, and I would comply more readily when this was suggested instead of "get off of me"...
Sniff...


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## Paulfromitaly

Hello,

I've noticed that very often, in spoken English, the preposition "of" is dropped if it comes after "off".
The first example that I've got in mind is a Damien Rice's song :
"... I can't take my eyes off of you" 
He doesn't pronounce the "of", probably because the verse sounds better without it.
Is dropping the "of" coming after "off" still to be considered a mistake  in written English, also if there's no misunderstanding by doing that ?


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## languageGuy

I have never heard this.  I don't think the 'of' is dropped. My ear hears it.


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## Paulfromitaly

languageGuy said:
			
		

> I have never heard this.  I don't think the 'of' is dropped. My ear hears it.



He drops the "of" at some point...anyway this song is just an example.


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## panjandrum

You surprise me with this question.
I would say that including the _*of*_ is "incorrect".

I can't take my eyes off you. 

I can't take my eyes off of you


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## Paulfromitaly

panjandrum said:
			
		

> You surprise me with this question.
> I would say that including the _*of*_ is "incorrect".
> 
> I can't take my eyes off you.
> 
> I can't take my eyes off of you



Actually I'm checking the use of "to take off" and it's definitely without the "of", but browsing the net I've found few examples of " take hands off of"..
Is the "off of" always wrong then?


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## french4beth

I don't think so - for example, "Take your hands off of me!" would mean that someone is physically touching you, and you want it to stop immediately.

"Off of" is seen a lot - usually, it's a combination of two phrases such as an idiomatic phrase like "rip-off" and a prepositional phrase like "of 9-11" for example - above it would be "take my eyes off" and "of you" (now that I think about it, it does sound kind of creepy - as if the person had their eyeballs directly on your skin...)


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## panjandrum

Paulfromitaly said:
			
		

> Actually I'm checking the use of "to take off" and it's definitely without the "of", but browsing the net I've found few examples of " take hands off of"..
> Is the "off of" always wrong then?


It certainly sounds wrong to me.
The rip-off of ....
The take-off of ... (a take-off is an imitation, a mimicry, an impression)
... and similar constructions are OK, of course.
But although you will find many, many examples of the form "Take your hands off of my girl!" this would still be considered wrong in any formal context - or in an exam.

Ah - sorry - speaking strictly BE.
It sounds AE to me.


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## Paulfromitaly

french4beth said:
			
		

> I don't think so - for example, "Take your hands off of me!" would mean that someone is physically touching you, and you want it to stop immediately.
> 
> "Off of" is seen a lot - usually, it's a combination of two phrases such as an idiomatic phrase like "rip-off" and a prepositional phrase like "of 9-11" for example - above it would be "take my eyes off" and "of you" (now that I think about it, it does sound kind of creepy - as if the person had their eyeballs directly on your skin...)



So is it the physical contact that makes the difference?
I take my hands off of you but I take my eyes off you, correct?


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## Paulfromitaly

panjandrum said:
			
		

> It certainly sounds wrong to me.
> The rip-off of ....
> The take-off of ... (a take-off is an imitation, a mimicry, an impression)
> ... and similar constructions are OK, of course.
> But although you will find many, many examples of the form "Take your hands off of my girl!" this would still be considered wrong in any formal context - or in an exam.
> 
> Ah - sorry - speaking strictly BE.
> It sounds AE to me.



Can we say that "Take your hands off of my girl!" is definitely wrong in BE, but acceptable in AE then?


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## Tabac

panjandrum said:
			
		

> You surprise me with this question.
> I would say that including the _*of*_ is "incorrect".
> 
> I can't take my eyes off you.
> 
> I can't take my eyes off of you


I agree totally.  In fact, I believe we add the incorrect 'of' after many prepositions which can stand on their own.  "He ditched the car outside [of] town."  "The keys are inside [of] the gold box."  We do this because we confuse using the word as a preposition and as a noun.  "The outside *of* town is a lovely spot."  "The  inside *of* the box is lined with red flocking."  Pet peeve of mine, too.


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## Jenniferrrr

"Take your hands off of my girl" and "take your hands off my girl" both sound okay to me. The first sounds more literal... like he needs to physically remove his hands right now.


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## se16teddy

When I hear this 'of', it is usually pronounced [shwa]. For example, I might say 'Take your hands off o' me', but I would never say 'take your hands off of me'. This leads me to wonder whether this 'of' is not 'of' at all, but a relic of a second syllable in 'offe' - along the lines of 'Ye Olde Shoppe' etc - retained (or inserted) to avoid an awkward consonant cluster. If I am right then forms using 'off of' are hypercorrections of an original two-syllabled 'offe'.

The OED talks about the disyllabic offe: 'The form _offe_ in early Middle English (at which period the spelling indicated a disyllable) appears to have final _-e_ on the analogy of _inne_, adverb denoting rest within a place, originally contrasted with _inn_, adverb denoting motion towards a place.'

Because of this theory, I think that 'I can't take my eyes off o' you' is a charming form, redolent of centuries gone by, whereas 'I can't take my eyes off of you' is a highly irritating failed attempt to speak standard English. Next time I hear the song I will listen out for which it is!


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## suzi br

se16teddy said:
			
		

> When I hear this 'off', it is usually pronounced [shwa]. For example, I might say 'Take your hands off o' me', but I would never 'take your hands off of me'. This leads me to wonder whether this 'of' is not 'of' at all, but a relic of a second syllable in 'offe' - along the lines of 'Ye Olde Shoppe' etc: 'Take your hands offe me!', inserted to avoid an awkward consonant cluster. I think that 'off of' is a hypercorrect form for a two syllabled 'offe'.


 
I like this idea - sounds credible

and I agree with the rest that "off of me" is NOT standard usage although you certainly do HEAR it said.


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## Yôn

I almost think _of _is added way more often in spoken English than it's needed.  Of course, I don't think there's really anything wrong with it, just that it's extra and not necessary.




Jon


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## Tabac

Yôn said:
			
		

> I almost think _of _is added way more often in spoken English than it's needed. Of course, I don't think there's really anything wrong with it, just that it's extra and not necessary.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jon


Red highlighting is mine.
I love the word "pleonastic".


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## Paulfromitaly

Tabac said:
			
		

> Red highlighting is mine.
> I love the word "pleonastic".



Can we interpret  "extra and not necessary" as "wrong" then?


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## Yôn

Paulfromitaly said:
			
		

> Can we interpret  "extra and not necessary" as "wrong" then?



In most cases, I think that would be true.  And, I would probably say that that is true in this case too.

_Get off of the grass!
Get off the grass!

_Yes, I see what you are saying.  I think adding _of _is probably incorrect.  I remember seeing something in my dictionary about that... I think.




Jon


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## Moogey

I don't think I've heard him remove the word "of" in that song. I think I use them interchangeably. It seems to me after a recent thread that "off of" is an AE thing. But then again, this song is from an American I think (the BE and AustrE people lose their accents when singing).

-M


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## Clayjar

se16teddy said:
			
		

> When I hear this 'of', it is usually pronounced [shwa]. For example, I might say 'Take your hands off o' me', but I would never say 'take your hands off of me'. This leads me to wonder whether this 'of' is not 'of' at all, but a relic of a second syllable in 'offe' - along the lines of 'Ye Olde Shoppe' etc - retained (or inserted) to avoid an awkward consonant cluster. If I am right then forms using 'off of' are hypercorrections of an original two-syllabled 'offe'.


I'm an English speaker from Canada, and both the "off" and the "off of" _sound_ correct to me. 

Get off the grass! 
Get off of the grass! 

In Canada, in informal oral speech, the "Get off of the grass" sounds more like "Get offa the grass" or "Get offuh the grass."


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## Paulfromitaly

Moogey said:
			
		

> I don't think I've heard him remove the word "of" in that song. I think I use them interchangeably. It seems to me after a recent thread that "off of" is an AE thing. But then again, this song is from an American I think (the BE and AustrE people lose their accents when singing).
> 
> -M



Actually, Damien Rice is Irish.


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## Moogey

Paulfromitaly said:
			
		

> Actually, Damien Rice is Irish.



Oh, how interesting seeing as how panjandrum is from Ireland and he finds it odd. By the way, Irish English is included in BE 

-M


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## panjandrum

Paulfromitaly said:
			
		

> Actually, Damien Rice is Irish.


But he may well adopt a trans-Atlantic, or at best mid-Atlantic accent and style of speech 

Picking up on Teddy's theme, the OED llists off of from 1450 onwards, but comments:
*In later use only colloq. (non-standard) and regional.*


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## DavyBCN

Neither is incorrect or correct. "Get off me" is British English usage; "get off of me" is American English. The second is being used more and more by native British speakers - as with many other things - the influence of US films, etc. The ame applies to the addition of "of" in other phrases mentioned, such as come off.


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## cirrus

DavyBCN said:
			
		

> Neither is incorrect or correct. "Get off me" is British English usage; "get off of me" is American English. The second is being used more and more by native British speakers - as with many other things - the influence of US films, etc. The ame applies to the addition of "of" in other phrases mentioned, such as come off.



I disagree about this being a simple BE/AE split.  Off of is common in London and across the south and to my knowledge has been for at least the last twenty odd years.  I think it is more a case of people making a false link with on top of or something like that.


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## A90Six

In agreement with everyone it appears!

*Off of* is more common in colloquial AE and some BE dialects, and has been around for quite some time. It is non-standard.

This complex preposition is even less excusable when - as it is so often - used to replace *from*:

Take that bottle off of him.
I got this lamp off of an antique dealer.


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## DavyBCN

cirrus said:
			
		

> I disagree about this being a simple BE/AE split. Off of is common in London and across the south and to my knowledge has been for at least the last twenty odd years. I think it is more a case of people making a false link with on top of or something like that.


 
Just confirms my view that people in the south of England watch too many American films and pick up every new fashion . I lived in Manchester between 1982 and 2003, and we couldn't be doing with all these modern ways.


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## Clayjar

panjandrum said:
			
		

> You surprise me with this question.
> I would say that including the _*of*_ is "incorrect".
> 
> I can't take my eyes off you.
> 
> I can't take my eyes off of you


 
Just to confuse everyone a little bit more... 

Here are the lyrics to another song (by an American band), which uses the "take my eyes *off of* you" form.


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## maxiogee

If Andy Williams could sing "Can't take my eyes off you", without the "of" then why can't everybody else? (or do I mean *!*)


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## Johannesburg

Please, could anyone tell me, what is correct.

I cannot take my eyes off you
or
I cannot take my eyes off of you.

Thanks


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## Siberia

Johannesburg said:


> Please, could anyone tell me, what is correct.
> 
> I cannot take my eyes off you
> or
> I cannot take my eyes off of you.  - Think this was part of a song
> 
> Thanks


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## roxcyn

They are both right, but I would probably say "I can't take my eyes off of you"


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## Johannesburg

Thank you Siberia, it is the second time.

Thank you roxcyn.


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## Siberia

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=can%27t+take+my+eyes+off+you&word2=can%27t+take+my+eyes+off+of+you
Try this


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## Frajola

Here's bartleby's view of 'off of'

> The compound preposition _off of_ also has an informal tone and is best avoided in formal speech and writing: _He stepped off_ (not _off of_) _the platform._


This is what Paul Brians, of the Department of English at Washington State University, has to say about 'off of'

> For most Americans, the natural thing to say is “Climb down off of [pronounced “offa”] that horse, Tex, with your hands in the air”; but many U.K. authorities urge that the “of” should be omitted as redundant. Where British English reigns you may want to omit the “of” as superfluous, but common usage in the U.S. has rendered “off of” so standard as to generally pass unnoticed, though some American authorities also discourage it in formal writing. However, “off of” meaning “from” in phrases like “borrow five dollars off of Clarice” is definitely nonstandard.


Just thought those would also help enlighten us.


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## mplsray

Frajola said:


> Here's bartleby's view of 'off of'
> 
> > The compound preposition _off of_ also has an informal tone and is best avoided in formal speech and writing: _He stepped off_ (not _off of_) _the platform._


 
It's unhelpful to describe that as "bartleby's view of 'off of'" because what you quote comes from _The American Heritage Book of English Usage,_ while there are at least two other usage guides on that Web site. One is a rather dated version of Fowler and the other is _The Columbia Guide to Standard American English_ by Kenneth G. Wilson, in which Wilson says, concerning _off of,_ that it "is a compound preposition that many commentators insist should be replaced by _off_ alone to avoid redundancy but which is nonetheless Standard at most Casual and Impromptu levels." 

Wilson capitalizes _Standard, Casual,_ and _Impromptu_ here because he is using the terms in a very precise way which he defines elsewhere in the book. His statement seems to me to be even stronger than that of the AH work in identifying _off of_ as part of standard speech. He goes on to identify some instances in which _off of_ is "Substandard and a shibboleth."

All the above is in reference to American speech, of course.


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## Joelline

Sorry Maxi and Panj, but the song we're all thinking about uses "off of":
You're just too good to be true 
Can't take my eyes off of you 
You'd be like heaven to touch 
I wanna hold you so much 

And if it was good enough for Andy Williams AND Frankie Valli, well, who are we to doubt its appropriateness?


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## panjandrum

Siberia said:


> http://www.googlefight.com/index.ph...s+off+you&word2=can't+take+my+eyes+off+of+you
> Try this


Alternatively, try *THIS ONE* with quotation marks around the phrase.  It is quite different.

Andy and Frankie, of course, had to sing *off of* to fit the rhythm of the song


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## sloopjc

Mick Jagger of the band, the Rolling Stones provides another example of AE support with the use of, "*off of*" becoming "_*off-a*_" to both emulate the American accent and enhance the lyrical melody:

*"*_*Hey!.. YOU!.. Get off-a*_ (off of) *my cloud!"

*If you try to say, "_...get off my cloud!_" the "-*a*" sound almost exists anyway. Not surprising then, that *off of*  is recognised.


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## Mr Bones

Hello, friends. It took me some time to get used to the fact that certain phrasal verbs with *off* don't need the preposition *of*. I can think of this example:

_He fell off the roof._

To my Spanish ears, there was something missing there and I always tended to say

_He fell off *of *the roof._

Is this the same case you're discussing here? Would it be terrible if I said that? (It took me a while to get rid of the bad habit).

Cheers, Mr Bones.


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## Joelline

Hi, Mr. Bones,

"He fell off of the roof" is undoubtedly incorrect, but it would also undoubtedly be the first choice of more than half of all AE speakers!  You'd sound just like a native speaker in the US!


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## keepsakes

Looking up the entry for "of" in various dictionaries, I conclude that using "off of" is not just redundant but apparently grammatically wrong; this concurs with some other people's arguments.

"Off" serves as a preposition.

He fell off the roof. What did he fall off? A roof. "He fell off a roof".

"Of" is another preposition, though commonly used in genitive cases.

He fell off the roof of Mr. Roof.

I doubt that double-prepositions are grammatically correct, however many exceptions there may be.
That's the simplest way I can put it, but if anyone has a better argument, present =P.


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## mplsray

keepsakes said:


> I doubt that double-prepositions are grammatically correct, however many exceptions there may be.
> That's the simplest way I can put it, but if anyone has a better argument, present =P.


 

Prepositions composed of two or more words are indeed grammatical in English and are referred to as _compound prepositions_ or _phrasal prepositions. _Kenneth G. Wilson has an entry about them in _The Columbia Guide to Standard American English,_ in which he lists the following as examples: _previous to, in addition to, in spite of, in advance of, instead of._ He says of them, "They are simply additional resources to be used appropriately."

New information: Wilson's analysis of the matter is a traditional one. I expect that any modern general dictionary will have entries of two-word and three-word combinations which it labels as a _preposition_ or a _compound preposition_. I haven't seen the label _phrasal preposition_ used in a dictionary, but I know of at least two usage guides which use it.

However, I just found this Web page in which Geoffrey K. Pullum, co-editor of the _Cambridge Grammar of the English Language,_ argues that it is wrong to use the term _phrasal preposition,_ and he may be critical of the term _compound preposition_ as well, or at least deny that certain word combinations identified as such are prepositions (I'd have to check his grammar to clarify that point.)


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## Robot Lips

Joelline said:


> Hi, Mr. Bones,
> 
> "He fell off of the roof" is undoubtedly incorrect, but it would also undoubtedly be the first choice of more than half of all AE speakers! You'd sound just like a native speaker in the US!


You are correct. It's just like when people say "a couple of" instead of "a couple." The "of" is incorrect.

And, as far as using songs to figure out what is proper English: don't bother. Lyrics aren't held to the same standards as literary works.


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## Mr Bones

Joelline said:


> Hi, Mr. Bones,
> 
> "He fell off of the roof" is undoubtedly incorrect, but it would also undoubtedly be the first choice of more than half of all AE speakers! You'd sound just like a native speaker in the US!


 
Thank you, Joelline. That's a great relief . Mr Bones.


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## mplsray

Joelline said:


> Hi, Mr. Bones,
> 
> "He fell off of the roof" is undoubtedly incorrect....


 
"Undoubtedly incorrect" are strong words, and without foundation, it seems, given the sources referred to elsewhere in this thread which identify _off of_ as belonging, in American English, to standard speech.


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## Mr Bones

mplsray said:


> "Undoubtedly incorrect" are strong words, and without foundation, it seems, given the sources referred to elsewhere in this thread which identify _off of_ as belonging, in American English, to standard speech.


 Hi, mplsray. So, could you say *get off of *the bus, for instance?


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## Joelline

You can check any American English grammar book, and it will say that "off of" is incorrect. What is "standard" in spoken speech may still be incorrect in formal speech. One online source you may consult is HERE.

And yes, Mr. Bones, you can say "get off of the bus," knowing that it is commonly used, but, strictly speaking, grammatically incorrect.  (You could also get off of the table!")


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## sloopjc

Joelline said:


> And yes, Mr. Bones, you can say "get off of the bus," knowing that it is commonly used, but, strictly speaking, grammatically incorrect.  (You could also get off of the table!")



On that point, is get off of the bus not merely distinguishing between a passenger and the chap who's sitting on the roof of the bus?


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## Joelline

The passenger may exit the bus; the idiot sitting on the roof may "get *down off of* the bus" (3 prepositions!!  and, again, incorrect, but something I've heard often enough!).


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## mplsray

Joelline said:


> You can check any American English grammar book, and it will say that "off of" is incorrect. What is "standard" in spoken speech may still be incorrect in formal speech. One online source you may consult is HERE.
> 
> And yes, Mr. Bones, you can say "get off of the bus," knowing that it is commonly used, but, strictly speaking, grammatically incorrect. (You could also get off of the table!")


 
First, strictly speaking, _off of_ is _grammatically correct _in every single dialect in which it is used, since it belongs to the rules of grammar of those dialects.

But in a narrower sense of _grammatically correct,_ having to do with following the grammatical rules of standard speech and writing, _off of_ is still standard. It is standard because it part of the speech and writing of _educated speakers._ The usage of educated speakers, both when speaking and writing informally and when speaking and writing formally is the sense which _standard _usually has in linguistic discussions, in usage books, and in modern dictionaries, and that is how I used it. Furthermore, no modern general dictionary treats informal standard speech as "incorrect" while considering formal standard speech to be "correct."


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## LeonTheOutsider

Never argue over a language's "group habit", even if it's grammatically incorrect. 

I feel that Americans' saying "off of" may be from a habit of another phrase *out of* or *out-a*.

get *off* a bus = get *out of* a bus
In a habitual manner, many of them may just say *get off of a bus* without removing *of*. 

Those lyrics author simply stuck to people's common error, while Andy Williams and other singers did not feel anything wrong about it.


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## sloopjc

LeonTheOutsider said:


> Those *author's lyrics* simply stuck to people's common *perception*, while Andy Williams and other singers did not feel *there was* anything wrong *with* it.



It's called artistic license.


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## winklepicker

Dear Roniy,


To sum up, the above discussion comprises of* the following essential elements:The use of _off of_ varies around the world​
More AE speakers than BE speakers accept _off of_ as standard​
Speakers of both kinds accept it as part of dialect/register/common usage​
For non-natives, perhaps best avoided as not universally standard​Hope this helps.

_*Non-natives: that is a joke - do not emulate!_


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## floridasnowbird

Hi,

what would be better English: "'off of' or just 'off'?"

Example: to get off (of?) the bus
the book fell off (of?) the table
take this world off (of?) my shoulders -- etc.

Thanks


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## Gwlad

I would always just say "off", I think that is the norm for BE.


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## liliput

I think "to get off of" is a relatively new phenomenon (I could be wrong) and it sounds terrible to my ears. I would never use it.
get off the bus
fell off the table
take this weight? the weight of the world? of my shoulders.


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## se16teddy

There is a full discussion of this issue here http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=193842


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## Judica

No one can agree on this subject. 

To get off of the bus.
To get off the bus.

I would say both forms are correct.

You will hear and read "off of" moreso in AE than BE.  AE has its own flavor (like Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese have their own flavor to the original Latin).


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## winklepicker

se16teddy said:


> There is a full discussion of this issue here http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=193842


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## furfeathers

I think both are correct. I usually just say off. I don't know why...


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## winklepicker

se16teddy said:


> There is a full discussion of this issue here http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=193842


 
Why you no risten?


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## cuchuflete

Se16teddy has put at our disposal a comprehensive discussion of the topic. Winklepicker has pointed to this fine offering not once, but twice.  Count 'em! 

To encourage people to exert themselves and find wisdom and knowledge and opinion, all at the price of a single mouse click, this thread will now be merged with the previous one.


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## JulianStuart

Just a thought : Why do we never hear "Get on of the bus"  "The book is on of the table"  but it seems folks are OK with "Get off of the bus" and "Take the book off of the table"  Regularization trends are anything but regular themselves


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## Esca

I regard off (of) as optional in certain situations, in the same way on(to) is optional in certain situations.

We built an addition _on_ our house.
We built an addition _onto_ our house.

We took the weathervane _off_ our roof.
We took the weathervane _off of_ our roof.

I can completely imagine someone using both together: 
"Get off the bus." (Person doesn't listen.) "Get OFF of the BUS!"

It's my personal impression that "off of" just reinforces the meaning of "off," and makes most sentences easier to say--"off" sounds abrupt and awkward to my ear when followed by a word that starts with consonant.
Thus, I would naturally include the "of" if I said, "I just can't take my eyes _off of_ *that* girl," but I'd be more likely to drop the "of" if I said, "I just can't take my eyes _off_ *a* red-headed girl."


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## exas

Recently, I heard the character played by Alicia Silverstone in the movie 'Clueless' say "Get off of me!" 

So I guess "get off of me" is an American thing.


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## JulianStuart

exas said:


> Recently, I heard the character played by Alicia Silverstone in the movie 'Clueless' say "Get off of me!"
> 
> So I guess "get off of me" is an American thing.


There is a summary in post #58 of this very thread.  If you still have a question, then come back here


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## mralex

I think for English learners it's important to learn the formal form and know about the existence of the informal one so that they know what to use in formal speech and writing.


*Cambridge Dictionary*
dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/get-off-sth

to remove a part of your from a particular place:

_Get your dirty feet off the settee!
Get your hands off me!_



*Longman Dictionary*
w ww.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/get

STOP TOUCHING SOMETHING get off (something/somebody)
informal used to tell someone to stop touching something or someone:

_Get off me!_
_Get off those cakes, or there'll be trouble._
_Get off (=stop touching me)!_



*Merriam Webster*
w ww.learnersdictionary.com/search/get

5a
always followed by an adverb or preposition [+ obj] : to cause (someone or something) to move or go 

_I can't get this ring on/off my finger._

b
always followed by an adverb or preposition [no obj] : to move or go 
_
We got on/off the bus.
Ouch! Get off my foot!_



*The American Heritage Book of English Usage*
books.google.com/books?id=BEHFyMCdwssC&pg=PA122&dq=%22off+of%22+english&hl=en&sa=X&ei=s4bTUZ-BJajSywG0vYCQBA&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22off%20of%22%20english&f=false

The compound preposition "off of" also has an informal tone and is best avoided in formal speech and writing.
_He stepped off (not off of) the platform._



*The Columbia Guide to Standard American English*
books.google.com/books?id=L2ChiO2yEZ0C&pg=PA307&dq=%22off+of%22+english&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SJbTUd1Fx5rJAez1gMAE&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=%22off%20of%22%20english&f=false

"off of" is a compound preposition that many commentators insist should be replaced by "off" alone to avoid redundancy but which is nonetheless Standard at most Casual and Impromptu levels:

_Get your elbows off of the table!_

Avoid it at Planned and Oratorical levels and in Semi-formal and Formal writing. With "get", "buy", and some other verbs, "off of" is Substandard and a shibboleth:

"He got (bought) it off of a boy in the class" is strongly condemned everywhere by Standard users



*The Handbook of Good English*
books.google.com/books?id=n0IJ8GcdJ6IC&pg=PA374&dq=%22off+of%22+english&hl=en&sa=X&ei=s4bTUZ-BJajSywG0vYCQBA&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%22off%20of%22%20english&f=false

off vs off of
Off is sufficient by itself:

_He jumped off the roof.
Please get this tick off me._

An added "of" is superfluous and should be avoided in all but casual speech and writing, but it is not wrong and may suit the cadence of a sentence:

_How much money did you make off of that deal?_


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## phil_34

languageGuy said:


> I have never heard this.  I don't think the 'of' is dropped. My ear hears it.



I only have heard 'get off me' (never 'get off of me'). I once stayed in a hotel in Spain and I heard (I think they were Brits) a girl saying to her dad again and again: 'get off me, get off me, get off me!' The first few times she said it so quickly that I only understood 'gdoff' me. At the end she said it slowly, loudly and clearly: 'get off me!'

To my ears adding 'of' sounds not only superfluous but utterly weird. Even in informal speech I'd rather say 'get off me'.


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## sunyaer

< I have added this question to an existing thread. (Moderator). >

I found an article titled _Tim Hortons co-founder Ron Joyce faces sexual assault lawsuit; calls it 'extortion' _oncbc.ca news website at 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toron...-assault-lawsuit-calls-it-extortion-1.3049939

"(She) screamed repeatedly for the defendant to get off of her."

Is the "of" after "get off" really needed?


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## JamesM

No, but it is not unusual in casual speech.


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## perpend

We tend to use this "of" certainly in casual speech, but also more formal speech, and I think you would even find it in newspapers here (Upper Midwest, USA).

It sounds very normal to me. In fact, if the "of" weren't there, I would find it odd.


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## sunyaer

mralex said:


> ...
> 
> An added "of" is superfluous and should be avoided in all but casual speech and writing, but it is not wrong and may suit the cadence of a sentence:
> 
> _How much money did you make off of that deal?_



Is "of" optional or required in the above sentence?


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## JamesM

It is optional.  You could also simply say, "How much (money) did you make off that deal?"


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## White Goat

I just read this long thread about off /off of and I found it very interesting, even though I'm still wondering whether this redundant usage (off of) may be considered non standard/informal or it may depend on the context or on the verbs used etc.
For instance, I found this thread because I was trying to get the exact meaning of a sentence I read in a book of literary criticism. It's a work about Shakesperean poetry and the author, who actually is an american scholar, used the phrasal verb "play off" with the 'superfluous' of (as stated in the Handbook of Good English). 
I am a bit puzzled because the language used throughout the book is refined and typical of literay criticism's essays. I wouldn't expect an informal usage of words that is recommended to be avoided in written texts. But maybe I'm wrong and the context can clarify better this usage. The sentence is: _"Shakespeare's interpretation of the phoenix myth plays off of the symbol's latent religious connotation in a manner that Donne exploited, yet neither poem is devotional". _
I think that the meaning of that 'plays off of' may be that "he used to his own advantage", in a poetical way, adding or altering a pre-existing original meaning. I wonder if it's this context that allows this usage or if it's the AE language of the author that prevailed, or maybe I'm missing some other grammar hues that are clear to a native ear (and not to me).
Thank you in advance for any further explanation.


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## se16teddy

There is a discussion of this phrasal verb _play off_ here: http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/play-off-of-each-other.2179700/

I am familiar with this expression, but I can't find it in the OED, and conclude that it may not be fully established in standard English, and may be subject to variation.

Incidentally, the OED does have entries for _offa_, _off of_ (13b in the entry for _off_) and another variant that I am not familiar with, _offen_.


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## PaulQ

The problem seems to be the connections of "off" and "of": at one time both were spelled the same: "*of*" and had the meaning "*from*."

In names, we have "Richard *of *York" = Richard *from *York = Richard *of/from* the lineage *of/from* the house *of/from* York."

So English had an "*of*" meaning *from*. (and this *of *separated to become the genitive.)

*Off *also means "*from*" "He stepped *off *the train onto the platform." = "He stepped *from *the train onto the platform."
"He climbed *off *the mountain.", etc.

Then we have the confusion of the phrasal verb and, whereas we do not have a problem with

"Get out *of *my chair!" where there is no implied object (other than a trivial reflexive.), and
"Get out *from *the cupboard."

we *do *have a problem with
"Get off *of *my chair."

This last case shows that *off *and *of *are both performing the role of *from*, and that, to me, is why it sounds strange.


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