What it means
A brisk British comeback for when someone’s talking rubbish, milking it, or acting like you were born yesterday. You say come off it when you don’t believe a word of it and want them to drop the act. It can sound playful with mates or a bit sharp if you’re properly fed up.
Usage examples
"You reckon you’ll be at the gym at 6am every day? Come off it, mate, you hit snooze eight times and call that cardio. Kettle on."
"Come off it, there is no way you ran a marathon without any training."
"Oh come off it, you knew about the party all along, do not act surprised."
"Come off it, you did not accidentally text your ex at half two in the morning. That was fully planned chaos."
"Oh, come off it, Dan. You cannot call it a quick pint when you got home after the bins were collected."
Where it comes from
Recorded in English since the 19th century, come off it comes from telling someone to get off a claim, pose, or line they’re pushing. That little it points to the nonsense itself. Over time it settled into a quick British way of saying stop it, I’m not buying that.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Grandpa Jinglebelt Siesta Official watcher of this expression
Tell me, what have you got for me?