off the table

[Nefertiti]

1. Does 'off the table' mean beyond consideration?

2. Is it OK to say, "the question is off the table" to mean "the question is impossible to occur therefore people don't care about it" or "the question doesn't make sense therefore people don't care about answering it"?

3. "We will take no options off the table to achieve that goal."
Does the quote mean 'we will take any possible steps to achieve the goal'?

Thanks

[Snowcake]

1. Does 'off the table' mean beyond consideration?

"Off the table" is a phrase, meaning withdrawn, no longer available. It is probably relating to "the negotiating table" in a figurative sense.

2. Is it OK to say, "the question is off the table" to mean "the question is impossible to occur therefore people don't care about it" or "the question doesn't make sense therefore people don't care about answering it"?#

Yes, you can. Then the question is no longer being discussed or considered. The contrary would be: The question is on the table. We can't put off discussing it.

3. "We will take no options off the table to achieve that goal."
Does the quote mean 'we will take any possible steps to achieve the goal'?

Yes. We won't restrict any possibilities that can help us achieve that goal.

Thanks

[Nefertiti]

Hi SC.

One definition might confuse people.

on the table - American English, an offer, idea etc that is on the table is no longer being considered at the moment, but will be dealt with in the future. (from Longman dictionary)

Thus, 'the question is on the table' could mean 'the question is no longer being considered or discussed for the time being. Agree?

FYI

[Snowcake]

Hi SC.

One definition might confuse people.

on the table - American English, an offer, idea etc that is on the table is no longer being considered at the moment, but will be dealt with in the future. (from Longman dictionary)

Thus, 'the question is on the table' could mean 'the question is no longer being considered or discussed for the time being. Agree?

FYI

Hi,
you could understand it figuratively. Let's take another example:
There's an apple on the table. Nobody has eaten it yet. But I'll do it right now.
So, yes, your explanation makes sense to me.

What is FYI?

[Nefertiti]

FYI = for your information

[Snowcake]

Oh, OK.