Help!What does "off" mean in this sentence?

[Harry12345]

What does "off" mean in this sentence? Does it mean "on"?

It’s a quiet street off Fifth Avenue.

Thanks!

 

[Shenfeng]

*not a teacher*

What does "off" mean in this sentence? Does it mean "on"?

It’s a quiet street off Fifth Avenue.

Thanks!

Here, off means near and not connected. "On" on the other hand would suggest some sort of connection to the street.

So a quiet street off Fifth Avenue is a street which is nearby and not directly running into it.


Do the experts agree?

 

[bhaisahab]

*not a teacher*



Here, off means near and not connected. "On" on the other hand would suggest some sort of connection to the street.

So a quiet street off Fifth Avenue is a street which is nearby and not directly running into it.


Do the experts agree?

No, it means that it runs directly from 5th Avenue, it connects with it.

 

[Shenfeng]

Hmm, that's interesting.

Well, I've heard native speakers refer to the "quiet street" in the following two situations as "off the main street":

This is what I meant by "not directly connected".

What do you think about those two?


What about this one?

Come to think of it, I now also use "off", because the little street is kind of branching off. Ok, in this case the off-street directly connects.

Let's say the "quiet street" doesn't connect to Fifth Avenue at all like this

Then the "quiet street" is still off Fifth Avenue, right?


Can a street actually be "on" another street?

What if we weren't speaking of streets but just lines - would it be correct to say that the thin line is on the thick one in the third figure?


Prepositions can be so treacherous:-(

 

[bhaisahab]

Hmm, that's interesting.

Well, I've heard native speakers refer to the "quiet street" in the following two situations as "off the main street":

In this one "quiet street" is a continuation of "another street", which is off 5th Avenue.

In this one "quiet street" is off "unnamed street 2" which is off "unnamed street" 1.
This is what I meant by "not directly connected".

What do you think about those two?


What about this one?

Here "quiet street" is off 5th Avenue.
Come to think of it, I now also use "off", because the little street is kind of branching off. Ok, in this case the off-street directly connects.

Let's say the "quiet street" doesn't connect to Fifth Avenue at all like this

Then the "quiet street" is still off Fifth Avenue, right? No, it's off whatever street it connects to.


Can a street actually be "on" another street? No.

What if we weren't speaking of streets but just lines - would it be correct to say that the thin line is on the thick one in the third figure?
No, it's connected to it.

Prepositions can be so treacherous:-(

.

 

[Shenfeng]

Thank you, now I'm a little bit more streetwise.:-D

 

[Harry12345]

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Mr bhaisahab, Thank you very very much! You are a very very excellent teacher!

 

[Barb_D]

Thank you, now I'm a little bit more streetwise.:-D

:up: