[General] About 'Off'

[emsr2d2]

Re: be off - 7

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

If Jim and Mary are quarrelling already, it looks as if their marriage is off to a bad start.

Be off to = to begin with (smth.)

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V

Yes. "To get off to a good/bad start" = "to begin well/badly".

 

[vil]

Hi emsr2s2 and riquecohen,

"I've never heard "create a plate" either. Is that a direct translation from your native language?"

Oh dear, Father's off again on his favorite subject-himself!

be off = colloq . create a plate, (begin a long talk on some topic)

create a plate = ? .... = wind up the gramophone in order to make us listen his humdrum, cautionary tale

plate = a gramophone record

there are also a long-playing records

In the present case I make an allusion to the close analogy between repeatedly listening to a long playing record and the bothering, unrelieved talking of my father.;-)

I beg your pardon for the unforeseen embarrassment.

V.