II.off [美 ɔf, ɑf, 英 ɒf]副off often appears as the second element of certain verb structures in English (break off, pay off, take off, etc). For translations, see the relevant verb entry (break, pay, take, etc).
I.on [美 ɑn, ɔn, 英 ɒn]介词on often appears as the second element of certain verb structures in English (count on, lay on, sign on, etc). For translations, see the relevant verb entry (count, lay, sign, etc).
In the hubbub, the cliche "hale and hearty" developed different meanings -- to presidential officials, under severe media pressure, just something to fob off the inquisitorial and adversarial press.
Commercial operations can't simply fob off expensive parts of their operations -- newsgathering costs, for instance -- into nonprofits unless those nonprofits have a wider public benefit.
Here, he uncovered how the poor hawkers were forced to contribute money to fob off police officers on duty who would otherwise have enforced the ban on hawking.
