off of a cliff v.s. off a cliff

Lost_Soul · #1 (permalink) Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:41 am *off of a cliff v.s. off a cliff*

Hi !

What would you choose:
1. I'm falling off of a cliff
2. I'm falling off a cliff

Thanks !

Alan · #2 (permalink) Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:23 am *off of a cliff v.s. off a cliff*

Hi,

I would go for 'off a cliff' but I can hear Frank Sinatra singing: 'I can't take my eyes off of you...' probably because 'off you' wouldn't scan here!

Alan
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Yankee · #3 (permalink) Sat Nov 10, 2007 13:35 pm *off of a cliff v.s. off a cliff*

Torsten · #4 (permalink) Sat Nov 10, 2007 13:56 pm *off of a cliff v.s. off a cliff*

It means that "off you" wouldn't fit into the song. It wouldn't work with the rhythm of the song as one syllable would be missing.
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Lost_Soul · #5 (permalink) Sat Nov 10, 2007 14:18 pm *off of a cliff v.s. off a cliff*

Hi, Alan
Many thanks for your help !

Yankee · #6 (permalink) Mon Nov 12, 2007 12:17 pm *off of a cliff v.s. off a cliff*

Hi LS

I would think of scan in this sort of 'metrical context' more with the meaning of 'analyze' rather than simply 'fit'. Of course, the word 'scan' has a number of other meanings as well.
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