Off You Go!

It’s fun to take a look at the differences between British English and American English, especially in the turns of phrase.

Americans say take it easy, while Brits say steady on.

Americans will say that’s too far. Brits will ask, bit much, isn’t it?

Americans: and there you have it. Brits: Bob’s your uncle.

One of these British phrases has been living rent-free in my mind for a few weeks now: off you go. The triggering incident? Someone gave rapid-fire critique to someone else, basically saying their work was crap. Then, they tacked the phrase in question onto the end.

On the surface, off you go sounds like it could be polite. I use the word could here because it also sounds a bit like an order to my ears, which is often the intent.

A parent might encourage their young child to try riding their bike for the first time without training wheels. You’ve got this—now, off you go!

Instead of encouraging, a parent might need to be more strict with their child. After admonishing them with a lecture on how important it is not to play with matches, they might signal that the conversation is over. Off you go.

Sometimes, it can be almost a statement of fact, like saying “we’re done here.” Dad is reading the newspaper and answers his daughter’s question sufficiently. He wants to finish reading the news. Off you go.

I’ve deliberately chosen examples where it’s parent/child, but when off you go is between two adults, the meaning can shift dramatically. If it sounds encouraging at all, it’s probably the patronizing kind. Off you go—but first, let me pinch your cheeks and tousle your hair.

More often than this, off you go comes across as extremely dismissive. This is an assertion of status: I’m more important than you, so I’m going to unilaterally decide when this conversation is over, and then I’m going to send you away like a subject in my court.

The one thing all these meanings have in common: they come from a position of authority, and the language reminds the other person of this authority. It’s subtle reinforcement of an ancient power structure at its core.

There’s one final (very British) meaning for off you go: when you want to mock this power structure itself. Now, off you go, you might say to your mate whose turn it is to buy the next round.

What have I missed—do you give today’s writing full marks?