Hi All,

I've been looking up some definitions of the word "off" (which does have plenty) and one of the examples is this:

Definition: [adverb] having access to or possession of material goods
or wealth to the extent specified.
Example: we'd been rather badly off for books

"We'd been rather badly off for books", as far as I can see, is something along the lines of either
1: "We hadn't got enough money to afford buying books", or
2: "We had been having a shortage of books"

Somehow I'm thinking of the second one to be true.
Which one is more realistic to you?


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I've been looking up some definitions of the word "off" (which does have plenty) and one of the examples is this:

Definition: [adverb] having access to or possession of material goods
or wealth to the extent specified.
Example: we'd been rather badly off for books

"We'd been rather badly off for books", as far as I can see, is something alon
the lines of either
1: "We hadn't got enough money to afford buying books", or
2: "We had been having a shortage of books"

Somehow I'm thinking of the second one to be true.
Which one is more realistic to you?

As an English speaker, I am not sure what they were trying to say there - "we'd been rather badly off for books." Your guesses are as good as mine. I
would add that they could mean their "accounting books," which might mean that they have fallen behind in their payments or have fallen into debt.

Examples I would use for that definition of "off" would be:

"They are financially rather well off." -- they have plenty of money
"They are rather well off." -- implies the same thing, plenty of money
"They are not well off." -- implies that they are not doing well financially


Mike


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Hi Mike,

Fri 24 Jan 2025 at 10:10, you wrote to me:

"We'd been rather badly off for books", as far as I can see, is
something along the lines of either
1: "We hadn't got enough money to afford buying books", or
2: "We had been having a shortage of books"

As an English speaker, I am not sure what they were trying to say
there - "we'd been rather badly off for books." Your guesses are as
good as mine. I would add that they could mean their "accounting
books," which might mean that they have fallen behind in their
payments or have fallen into debt.

I've checked and it turns out that "badly off" means the opposite of "well off", according to both M.-W. and Cambridge dictionaries. Seems like it's mostly british. So, #1 is a good guess still. :-)


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As an English speaker, I am not sure what they were trying to say
there - "we'd been rather badly off for books." Your guesses are as good as mine. I would add that they could mean their "accounting books," which might mean that they have fallen behind in their
payments or have fallen into debt.

I've checked and it turns out that "badly off" means the opposite of "well off", according to both M.-W. and Cambridge dictionaries. Seems like it's mostly british. So, #1 is a good guess still. :-)

That example does read like British phrasing so I am not at all surprised there. Glad I had a good guess! ;)

Mike


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