a little WAYS OFF

Question

Hello,I would like to know the meaning of this expression:'I felt that some of the things being done in rap music might get to be real interesting, but that was a little WAYS OFF.'                       Thanks in advance, Jo.

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

remote (from the truth)
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http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/w/w0064300.html

way

also ways [ w (missing image) z ](used with a sing. verb) Informal Distance: The travelers have come a long way. That village is a good ways off.
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Tidus · Answer

'I felt that some of the things being done in rap music might get to be real interesting, but are a little WAY OFF.' It's never 'Ways".

It means that something is not expected to happen in the very near future. "My retirement is a little way off". "I'm saving for a new car, but it's still a little way off". "I'm not sure I'll have enough time to study for my exams!" [reply] "Don't worry, they're still a little way off"

In the context of your sentence, it means that it'll be another while before rap music gets really interesting.

CalifJim · Answer

It's never 'Ways".

Never say "never"!

It's quite common in AmE to treat ways as a singular in expressions like a long ways off = yet to come in the distant future. These can have way instead, of course, and ways is less formal.

The students are progressing very well, but they still have a long way(s) to go.

CJ

Marius Hancu · Answer

The plural is used many times at the NYT:
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SQUARE FEET; A New Newark Moves Closer to Reality

... , they're a ways off from breaking ground on residential ...

March 1, 2006 - By LISA CHAMBERLAIN (NYT) - Business - News
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Tidus · Answer

CalifJim
It's never 'Ways".
Never say "never"!

It's quite common in AmE to treat ways as a singular in expressions like a long ways off = yet to come in the distant future. These can have way instead, of course, and ways is less formal.

The students are progressing very well, but they still have a long way(s) to go.

CJ

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It's nasty! Saying that in the UK would be akin to a child saying "my feets" ie the person saying it does not have a very good grasp of the English language.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Don't worry, Tidus. Many times when I started posting here, I would give the American version and forget that there were other verions that were completely acceptable elsewhere.

You'll have to forgive your American friends who say this. It's the expression here.

Tidus · Answer

I'm not at all familiar with American English - apart from things like "fawcet" rather than "tap", and the dropping of letters here and there - 'color', for example, rather than 'colour'.

Hey - I'm learning things already!

a little WAYS OFF

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