Meaning trap
lay off
stop consuming
To stop using, eating, drinking, or taking something, especially because it is unhealthy or excessive.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To stop using, eating, drinking, or taking something, especially because it is unhealthy or excessive.
'lay off' also has the more basic meaning 'stop employing'; this is the advanced sense.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- My doctor told me to lay off the caffeine for a while if I want to sleep better.health
- Many people find it difficult to lay off junk food, even when they know it is detrimental to their health.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: lay off + noun (uncountable or plural)
WrongYou should lay off from sugar.
RightYou should lay off the sugar.
'Lay off THE + thing' (= cut down on it) — no 'from'.
Patternlay off + noun (uncountable or plural)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Lay off (the X)' is the casual way to say cut something out. 'Reduce your consumption of' is clinical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
lay off thethe boozethe saltthe cigarettesthe sweets
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B2 sense ('stop employing'), this sense is not about jobs or work, but about stopping the consumption of something. It is also different from the B1 sense ('stop doing something annoying'), as it refers specifically to substances or habits, not actions that annoy others.
Related
- lay off (stop employing) — 'lay off' also has the more basic meaning 'stop employing'; this is the advanced sense.