off and on|off|on|on and off Idiom, Proverb
off and on|off|on|on and off
adv. Not regularly; occasionally; sometimes.
Joan wrote to a pen pal in England off and on for several years. It rained off and on all day. 
Sometimes used with hyphens like an adjective.
A worn-out cord may make a hearing aid work in an off-and-on way. Compare: BY FITS AND STARTS, FROM TIME TO TIME, NOW AND THEN.
off and on|off|on|on and off
adv. Not regularly; occasionally; sometimes.
Joan wrote to a pen pal in England off and on for several years. It rained off and on all day. 
Sometimes acclimated with hyphens like an adjective.
A exhausted bond may accomplish a audition aid assignment in an off-and-on way. Compare: BY FITS AND STARTS, FROM TIME TO TIME, NOW AND THEN. Dictionary