| 释义 |
off base, off-base, phr. (adv.) and a.
[off prep., off- 4 b.]
1. Unawares, off one's guard, by surprise; mistaken. Cf. base n.1 15 d. U.S.
1936J. Steinbeck In Dubious Battle vii. 109 If they can catch us off base, they'll bounce us. 1947Time 20 Oct. 11/1 Your Latin American department was off base in its comparison of the Portillo Hotel in Chile with our famous Sun Valley. 1948Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, Okla.) 26 May 6/4 There are more men caught off base at cocktail parties than ball games. 1955W. C. Gault Ring around Rosa vii. 88 You're way off base, Bobby, and I think this kind of talk is in poor taste. 1971B. Malamud Tenants 141, I don't feel lovely. I feel off-base, off-key, dissatisfied. 1974Publishers Weekly 18 Mar. 43/1 Off base with his moralizing, an innocent in economics, overshadowed by the Kennedys.
2. Situated elsewhere than on a military base (base n.1 16 and 16 b).
1962Economist 1 Dec. 921/2, 136 families live on the base, 220 in an off-base village. 1967Ibid. 30 Sept. 1196/3 The defence establishment has often been a pioneer in ending the colour bar, both at its own installations and ‘off-base’. Ibid., To fight off-base discrimination against Negro Soldiers. 1977R. Gadney Champagne Marxist xiv. 92 ‘I'd like to speak with you.’ ‘Fine.’ ‘Off-base?’ ‘Of course, if that's what you want.’ |