pop off

present singular third person pops off · participle present popping off · participle past popped off · past popped off

1. informalintransitiveTo leave and return in a short time.

   I'm just popping off to the shops to pick up some bread.

2. informalintransitiveTo die suddenly.
3. informaltransitiveTo kill someone.

   Dig your own grave, then I'll pop you off!

   1923, Margaret J. Winkler, “Felix Strikes It Rich”, in Felix the Cat

   1 more example

   When Captain Sleet in person stood his mast-head in this crow’s-nest of his, he tells us that he always had a rifle with him (also fixed in the rack), together with a powder flask and shot, for the purpose of popping off the stray narwhales, or vagrant sea unicorns infesting those waters; […]

   1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 35, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 173

   Synonyms: annihilate, bag, baptize, bereave of life, blight, bring down, bump off, bury

4. transitiveTo fire or launch (a shot, projectile, or missile), especially singly or in small bursts.

   The Long Lances, however, were thick in the water, and soon Portland was hit in the stern, sending her turning donuts across the ocean trying to work out which way to point her guns, popping off occasional shots at Hiei, which, by now, was heavily ablaze and a very obvious target in the night.

   2021 March 10, Drachinifel, 20:44 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - The Big Night Battle: Night 1 (IJN 3(?) : 2 USN), archived from the original on 17 Oct 2022

5. derogatoryinformalintransitiveusuallyTo speak frankly.

   popping off at the mouth

6. informalintransitiveTo release flatulence, generally in short rapid succession.
7. transitiveTo thrust away, or put off promptly.

   to pop one off with a denial

   1 more example

   Perhaps it may not ſometimes be amiſs to excite their Curioſity, by bringing ſtrange and new things in their way on purpoſe to engage their Enquiry, and give them occaſion to inform themſelves about them: And if by chance their Curioſity leads them to ask, what they ſhould not know, it is a great deal better to tell them plainly, That it is a thing that belongs not not to them to know, than to pop them off with a Falſhood, or a frivolous Anſwer.

   1693, [John Locke], “§.114. 4.”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC, pages 139–140

8. UKinformaltransitiveTo turn off.

   Pop that light off, will you?

9. intransitiveslangTo perform extremely well (in a video game or other activity).

   Pop off, queen!

   2 more examples

   After changing my mouse sensitivity, I immediately started popping off.

   You want a pop star with a big bra for them big hits. / I wanna pop off so these big mouths can’t say shit.

   2026, Adéla, “KGB”

   Synonyms: go off