DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 off and on
 斷斷續續地,間斷地,偶爾

 Off adv.  In a general sense, denoting from or away from; as:
 1. Denoting distance or separation; as, the house is a mile off.
 2. Denoting the action of removing or separating; separation; as, to take off the hat or cloak; to cut off, to pare off, to clip off, to peel off, to tear off, to march off, to fly off, and the like.
 3. Denoting a leaving, abandonment, departure, abatement, interruption, or remission; as, the fever goes off; the pain goes off; the game is off; all bets are off.
 4. Denoting a different direction; not on or towards: away; as, to look off.
 5. Denoting opposition or negation. [Obs.]
    The questions no way touch upon puritanism, either off or on.   --Bp. Sanderson.
 From off, off from; off. “A live coal . . . taken with the tongs from off the altar.” --Is. vi. 6.
 Off and on. (a) Not constantly; not regularly; now and then; occasionally. (b) Naut. On different tacks, now toward, and now away from, the land.
 To be off. (a) To depart; to escape; as, he was off without a moment's warning. (b) To be abandoned, as an agreement or purpose; as, the bet was declared to be off. [Colloq.]
 To come off, To cut off, To fall off, To go off, etc. See under Come, Cut, Fall, Go, etc.
 To get off. (a) To utter; to discharge; as, to get off a joke. (b) To go away; to escape; as, to get off easily from a trial. [Colloq.]
 To take off To do a take-off on, To take off, to mimic, lampoon, or impersonate.
 To tell off (a) Mil., to divide and practice a regiment or company in the several formations, preparatory to marching to the general parade for field exercises. --Farrow.  (b) to rebuke (a person) for an improper action; to scold; to reprimand.
 To be well off, to be in good condition.
 To be ill off, To be badly off, to be in poor condition.

 off and on
      adv : not regularly; "they phone each other off and on" [syn: on
            and off]