work off

Related to work off: working over

work off

1. To shed excess body fat through physical exercise. Usually used with terms "fat," "pounds," or "weight" along with mitigators like "some," "a bit," "a few," etc. I've made it my New Years resolution to work some weight off at the gym. He's started running in the evenings to work off a few pounds.
2. To help metabolize or expend the calories from some meal or piece of food with exercise or other physical activity. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "work" and "off." I know that was a pretty heavy breakfast, but we'll work it off on our hike later on. I feel like I need to go on a two-hour bike ride to work off that cake!
3. To expel or shed some negative emotion or mental state with exercise or other physical activity. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "work" and "off." I was so furious after the meaning that I had to go to the gym for two hours just to work it off! You should try swimming laps—I found that it really helped me work off my anxiety.
4. To free oneself from debt through paid work. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "work" and "off." I had to take a second job on the weekends to help work off my student loans. I forgot to bring my wallet with me to the restaurant, so I had to work the bill off washing dishes in their kitchen.
5. To use something as a template or point of guidance. Architects worked off the original 12th-century drawings to authentically recreate the Gothic cathedral. Hey, I'm just working off the instructions they gave me—it's not my fault if something is wrong!
See also: off, work
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

work something off

 
1. Lit. to get rid of anger, anxiety, or energy by doing physical activity. I was so mad! I went out and played basketball to work my anger off. He works off nervousness by knitting.
2. . Fig. to pay off a debt through work rather than by money. I had no money so I had to work the bill off by washing dishes. I have to work off my debt.
See also: off, work

work some fat off

 and work some weight off to
get rid of body fat by doing strenuous work. I was able to work a lot of weight off by jogging. I need to work off some fat.
See also: fat, off, work
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

work off

Get rid of by work or effort, as in They worked off that big dinner by running on the beach, or It'll take him months to work off that debt. [Second half of 1600s]
See also: off, work
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

work off

v.
1. To get rid of something through effort or work: I started to run two miles a day in order to work off some weight. I owed them a large debt, but I worked it off by painting their house.
2. To use something or someone as a foundation or source of energy to perform work: This laptop works off batteries. I worked off my strengths as a writer to convince the newspaper to hire me.
See also: off, work
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • work some fat off
  • baby fat
  • puppy fat
  • fat and sassy
  • lard
  • lard (something) with (something)
  • lard with
  • fat chance
References in periodicals archive
SWEEPING Brush the floors or your path for 30 minutes and you will work off around 140 calories, depending on how hard you sweep.
SWEEP FIT; Housework can help get you in shape but, don't worry, you won't really have to lift up the sofa
A DEPRESSED credit controller who fleeced her former employers out of more than pounds 5,500 has been ordered to work off her debt to society.
Worker fleeced employer of pounds 5k
WALKERS can work off the extra pounds they piled on over Christmas and the new year.
Walking back to healthiness..
Council is offering young people a chance to work off all their Easter eggs with a range of fun activities at Burntwood, Friary
Egg-stra sports fun for kids
A race first held over 80 years ago has been rescheduled to give North Wales athletes a chance to work off the excesses of Christmas Day in extreme style.
Athletics: Post-turkey trot; sport ROUND-UP
Its premise will be familiar to many AR readers--every semester, groups of students elect to live and work off campus in impoverished parts of western Alabama, producing architecture that challenges convention in terms of methods, materials, and forms.
Field of dreams: this inventively conceived baseball field creates a new social focus in a rural hamlet
There's a fantastic indoor play area where they can work up an appetite or work off a big lunch as well as complimentary balloons and free face painting.
TIME OFF: The Derby Pool
I TOOK the advice of your health writer and went on a brisk, three-mile walk to work off some of the pounds I put on over the festive season.
Your Letters: Reader's letter
Fountain Tire also has four mobile units that do work off site for customers who are unable to bring their equipment or vehicles to the store.
Commercial tire centre expands
When the schools were founded in the 1920s, the Brothers were merely acting as trustees on behalf of the community in order to get the work off the ground.
Can Catholic schools be considered "private property"? (Canada)
But the effort you need to put in to work off just one can might put you off your daily tipple.
Coke has worked out fizz burn-off
It will be staging work off site for the next two years while building work is carried out and will be saying goodbye tomorrow with one-off live daytime show The Final Curtain hosted by radio presenter Joanne Malin.
STAGEWHISPERS
"Everyone puts the work off all year then realise they'd better get it done for when Aunt Gladys arrives for Christmas."
THE BIG PICTURE; a wider look at life by Richard Swingler