fob off

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

fob off verb (tr, adverb)

1. to appease or trick (a person) with lies or excuses
2. to dispose of (goods) by trickery

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

fob¹ /fɑb/   n. [countable]

1. Clothing a short chain or ribbon attached to a pocket watch.
2. an ornament on a fob.

fob² /fɑb/   v., fobbed, fob•bing. Idioms

1. fob off:
   • to dispose of or induce someone to take (something inferior);
     palm off: [~ + off + object]
     The car dealer fobbed off an inferior car on the buyer.
     [~ + object + off]
     He fobbed it off on the buyer.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

fob¹  (fob), n. 

1. Clothing a small pocket just below the waistline in trousers for a watch, keys, change, etc. Cf. watch pocket.
2. Clothing a short chain or ribbon, usually with a medallion or similar ornament, attached to a watch and worn hanging from a pocket.
3. the medallion or ornament itself.

• 1645–55; origin, originally uncertain; compare German dialect, dialectal Fuppe pocket

fob²  (fob), v.t., fobbed, fob•bing. 

1. [Archaic.] to cheat;
   deceive.
2. fob off:
   • to cheat someone by substituting something spurious or inferior;
     palm off (often fol. by on):
     He tried to fob off an inferior brand on us.
   • to put (someone) off by deception or trickery:
     She fobbed us off with false promises.

• 1350–1400; Middle English fobben; cognate with German foppen to delude; compare fob¹

f.o.b., [Com.]

1. Business free on board: without charge to the buyer for goods placed on board a carrier at the point of shipment:
   automobiles shipped f.o.b. Detroit.

Also, F.O.B.