# fob off on

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fob-off-on
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to give someone a task or an item that you do not want because it is low quality or boring.

For teachers: to deceitfully or unfairly transfer an unwanted task, responsibility, or inferior item to another person.

## Examples

- He tried to fob his old phone off on me.
- The manager always tries to fob the weekend shifts off on the new interns.
- The company attempted to fob the blame for the environmental disaster off on a minor subcontractor to protect its stock price.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He fobbed off the work to me." but "He fobbed the work off on me." — the preposition 'on' is required to indicate the person receiving the unwanted thing, and 'to' is incorrect here.

## Usage notes

- usually implies the person receiving the thing is being tricked or treated unfairly.
- Teaching tip: this is a three-part phrasal verb that is often used with 'fob off' (to give an excuse) but adding 'on' specifies the victim of the action.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.