fob off

Thân thiện

The salesman tried to fob off the counterfeit watch on the unsuspecting tourist.

Definition

Verb (transitive) 1. To sell or pass off something as genuine or of higher quality than it actually is, with the intention to deceive. - This is the core meaning, involving a deliberate act of deception in a transaction. 2. To dismiss or put someone off with an excuse or a less valuable alternative. - A more general, figurative use meaning to appease or get rid of someone insincerely.

Usage and Examples

• The dishonest merchant tried to fob off the counterfeit watch as a luxury brand.
• Don't let them fob you off with a cheap imitation; insist on the original product.
• When I complained, the manager just fobbed me off with a promise to call back later.
• He fobbed off his responsibilities onto his junior colleague.

Advanced Usage and Patterns

• Common Structure: The verb is often used with the pattern "fob someone off with something" or "fob something off on someone."
  • They fobbed us off with a vague explanation.
  • He tried to fob his old car off on an unsuspecting buyer.
• The phrasal verb is separable. The object (e.g., , ) can often be placed between "fob" and "off."

Variants and Related Words

• Fob (noun): A small pocket for a watch or a decorative item attached to a keychain. (Note: This is a completely different, unrelated noun).
• Palm off: A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "fob off" in the context of deceiving someone in a sale.

Synonyms

• Palm off
• Pass off
• Foist (upon)
• Dismiss (with)

Related Phrasal Verbs/Idioms

• Brush off: To dismiss or ignore someone or something casually.
  • She brushed off my concerns. (This lacks the specific element of substituting with an inferior item or false promise present in "fob off.")
• Put off: To postpone or delay.
  • They kept putting off the meeting. (This is about delay, not deceptive dismissal.)

Học thuật

Verb

1. sell as genuine, sell with the intention to deceive

Từ đồng nghĩa

• foist off
• palm off