look off

See also: lookoff

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

look off (third-person singular simple present looks off, present participle looking off, simple past and past participle looked off)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To put off by one's facial expression
   • 1957, Rex Stout, If Death Ever Slept, page 40:

     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

2. (transitive, idiomatic, American football) To mislead by directing one's apparent attention away from one's true object of intent.
   • 2004, Danny Wuerffel with Steve Spurrier and Mike Bianchi, Danny Wuerffel's Tales from the Gator Swamp, page 24:

     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.

3. (intransitive, American football) To look in a way different than the intended direction of play in order to confuse the opposing team.