English

Verb

fob off

1. to put off by evasion

   When I phoned up, I was fobbed off with a string of excuses.

   • 1608, William Shakespeare, Coriolanus, i, 1:

     You must not think to fob off our disgrace ; but, an't please you, deliver.

   • Milton

     A conspiracy of bishops could prostrate and fob off the right of the people.

2. to fraudulently dispose of goods

   He fobbed off the forgery as genuine.

Synonyms

• (to fraudulently dispose of): foist, pass off, palm off, pawn off

References

• 1897 Universal Dictionary of the English Language, Robert Hunter and Charles Morris, eds., v 2 p 2146.