fob off

present singular third person fobs off · participle present fobbing off · participle past fobbed off · past fobbed off · alternative archaic fub off

1. informaltransitiveTo use lies, excuses, or deceit to satisfy (someone); to deceitfully appease someone by giving something that is spurious or inferior from what was wanted or expected.

   When I phoned up, I was fobbed off with a string of excuses.

   4 more examples

   You must not think to fob off our disgrace ; but, an't please you, deliver.

   c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

   A conspiracy of bishops could prostrate and fob off the right of the people.

   1641 May, John Milton, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England: And the Causes that hitherto have Hindred it. […], [London]: […] Thomas Vnderhill, →OCLC

   Let’s not be fobbed off by the lie that trophy hunting is promoting conservation of these endangered species.

   2018 December 20, Liz Pain, “Letters: The complex issue of big game trophy hunting”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   Other species have evolved elaborate defenses to deter “brood parasites,” birds that try to fob off the tedious work of parenting by slipping their eggs into other birds’ nests.

   2020 August 4, Richard Conniff, “They may look goofy, but ostriches are nobody’s fool”, in National Geographic Magazine

2. informaltransitiveTo fraudulently dispose of (goods).

   He fobbed off the forgery as genuine.

   Synonyms: foist, pass off, palm off, pawn off