Taken anything from or off of anybody
From To Kill a Mockingbird:
Atticus said you just had to know ‘em. He said the Cunninghams hadn’t taken anything from or off of anybody since they migrated to the New World.
I'm not sure how "from" and "off of" differ from each other. The dictionaries I checked say "off" can mean "from." Why are they being used together if they mean the same thing?
Top answer
I speculate that it means he hadn't accepted gifts from anyone, and he hadn't stolen anything from anyone. This is pure guesswork. CJ
- I speculate that it means he hadn't accepted gifts from anyone, and he hadn't stolen anything from anyone.
- This is pure guesswork.
- CJ
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I speculate that it means he hadn't accepted gifts from anyone, and he hadn't stolen anything from anyone. This is pure guesswork.
CJ
0Lerethel"offof"
The second word is superfluous. Using this instead of just the word off is a common mistake.
0New anonymous here.
"Off of" is Lee writing in her dialect, like the "'em". "Off of" is usually non-standard and is best avoided in general writing, even if you don't want to call it a mistake. I think she probably means by it that the Cunninghams never accepted any abuse or criticism from anybody—they hadn't taken any guff off of nobody.
0
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