Natural expression
Could you tell me which one sounds more natural between 'off the hook' and 'off this' in the following conversation? Thank you in advance.
Police: You were speeding, ma'am.
Lady: I'm sorry, officer. I'm picking up my daughter from school. Could you please let me off [ this / the hook] once? She has been waiting for me there for half an hour.
Top answer
Police: Officer: You were speeding, ma'am. Lady: I'm sorry, officer. I'm picking up my daughter from school.
- Police: Officer: You were speeding, ma'am.
- Lady: I'm sorry, officer.
- I'm picking up my daughter from school.
- Could you please let me off ?
- [ this / the hook ] once?
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Police: Officer: You were speeding, ma'am.
Lady: I'm sorry, officer. I'm picking up my daughter from school. Could you please let me off? [ this / the hook] once? She has been waiting for me there for half an hour.
The most common phrase is simply 'let someone off'. The context usually makes clear what the person has done.
0In this case, 'this' goes with 'once' - 'Could you let me off this once?'
Therefore you could say 'Could you let me off the hook this once?' If you were to say '...off the hook once' then it suggests a theoretical situation rather than an event right now.
I would say it's more natural to use '...this once' rather than the extra words of '...the hook this once' but e
0
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