Apr 27, 2012

Knock Off Work

The phrase, which means to quit work for the day, originated in the days of ships propelled by oarsmen. To keep the oarsmen rowing in unison, a man with the gift of perfect rhythm would beat time on a block of wood; when it was time to rest or change shifts, he’d give a special knock. The term to knock off  became popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s.