off beam


off beam

Mistaken, inaccurate, or incorrect; going against or straying away from the correct line of thinking. Hyphenated if used before a noun. I'm saddened that he would choose to make remarks about our troops that are so off beam. The CEO's off-beam plans ended up costing the company nearly half a billion dollars in lost revenue.See also: beam, off

off (or way off) beam

on the wrong track; mistaken. informal Originally, this phrase referred to the radio beam or signal used to guide aircraft. 1997 Anthony Barnett This Time I sample the press coverage to illustrate how large sections of the Fourth Estate were way off beam in their conviction that voters want the country steered back towards ‘Great Englishness’. See also: beam, off

off ˈbeam

(informal) wrong; incorrect: No, you’re way off beam there.A radio wave, or beam, can be used to guide aircraft. If the aircraft is off beam it is not following the correct course as set by the beam.See also: beam, off