Browse phrases beginning with: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][J][K][L][M][N][O][P][Q][R][S][T][U,V][W][X,Y,Z] Knock offMeaning To finish work for the day. Alternatively, to work quickly and complete a task - similar to polish off. A third alternative is a slang term meaning to steal. Origin The origin of the first meaning could possibly be from the habit of knocking a special beat to indicate a change of oarsmen in slave galleys. That's speculation but several of the earliest references to the term come from a nautical source. For example, William Clark Russell's novel An ocean tragedy, 1890:
The second meaning - to work quickly and complete a task is known by the early 19th century. For example, Thomas Love Peacock's novel Melincourt, 1817:
The third, 'stealing' meaning originated about a century later. That's recorded in The Athenaeum, August 1919:
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