Re: "par coeur" origin


retrosorter wrote:
TOF wrote:
Peter T. Daniels wrote:
retrosorter wrote:


Once we're on the "by heart" subject, why is it that some people say
"off by heart?" Is it merely idiomatic with no logical explanation?

"Now that" we're on the subject

It's not "off by heart," it's "read it off" or "know it off."
--


Say what?

"I know my lines *by heart*; or *off by heart*"

TOF


The joining of the word "'off" with "by" does seem a tad unusual and I
can't think offhand of another example in English where this occurs.
Does it in essence represent a joining if the idiomatic verb ""know
off' with ''by heart'?

I doubt it. Where I come from (Australia) I've not heard someone split
"off" from "by" (although the "off" is occasionally omitted.)

Another expression meaning the same thing is "down pat" used with "to
have".

Thus:

One may have it down pat
One may know it off by heart, or by heart.


If one learns it off by heart, then one has achieved rote standard.

TOF

.

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