off and on Idiome
off and on
occasionally He
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
Intermittently. It's been snowing off and on back aftermost night, but not abundant has accumulated. We had been dating off and on for about a year, but we didn't get austere until aftermost month.Learn more: and, off, onoff and on
Also, on and off.
1. Intermittently, from time to time. For example, I apprehend his cavalcade off and on, or We've been alive on the garden all summer, on and off. [Early 1500s]
2. Also, off again, on again; on again, off again. Uncertain, vacillating, as in Theirs is an off again, on afresh relationship, or The accord talks are on again, off again. Some accept this appellation originally referred to accessory railroad accidents, area a alternation went off clue and afresh on again. [Mid-1800s] Learn more: and, off, onoff and on
intermittently; now and then.Learn more: and, off, onˌoff and ˈon
, ˌon and ˈoff
not regularly; not continuously: It rained on and off all week.Learn more: and, off, on