look off

present singular third person looks off · participle present looking off · participle past looked off · past looked off

1. idiomatictransitiveTo put off by one's facial expression

   She can look a man on or look him off, either way. I wouldn't have thought any woman could look him off, I'd think she'd need a hatpin or a red-hot poker

   1957, Rex Stout, If Death Ever Slept, page 40

2. idiomatictransitiveAmerican footballTo mislead by directing one's apparent attention away from one's true object of intent.

   I went back to pass, tried to look off the safety, turned and fired it out to Jack. It didn't work. The safety closed on the ball and knocked it down.

   2004, Danny Wuerffel with Steve Spurrier and Mike Bianchi, Danny Wuerffel's Tales from the Gator Swamp, page 24

3. intransitiveAmerican footballTo look in a way different than the intended direction of play in order to confuse the opposing team.