Clean Off
In Southern and Appalachian speech, clean off means completely removed or knocked away, emphasizing total separation rather than partial loss.
synonyms: completely off, entirely removed, knocked away
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Out in the country, if it's unsuspected broke, you'll hear 'clean off.' Like a new car wash - took the paint clean off! Hillbilly Dude Says...
Out in the country, if it's unsuspected broke, you'll hear 'clean off.' Like a new car wash - took the paint clean off! Pronunciation
[KLEEN AWF]
/klin ɔf/
/klin ɔf/
Meaning & Usage
- Completely removed or detached (adverbial phrase)
Earl:
That storm do much damage?
That storm do much damage?
Clara:
Tore the shutter clean off the house.
Tore the shutter clean off the house.- Entirely away (adverbial phrase)
Lloyd:
Where’d your hat go?
Where’d your hat go?
Mae:
Wind knocked it clean off my head.
Wind knocked it clean off my head.★ When clean shows up before a direction word like off, it’s there to add force - it tells you nothing was left hanging on. ★
Origin and Etymology
The use of "clean" as an adverbial intensifier meaning "completely" dates to older English and Scots forms brought to North America through early settlement. While many such constructions faded from general American English, they remained active in Southern and Appalachian speech, where "clean" continues to modify particles like "off" to emphasize total removal.
Usage Notes
"Clean off" is commonly used in Southern and Appalachian speech to stress that something has been fully removed, detached, or blown away, often by force or accident. In other regions, speakers typically omit the intensifier and use "off" alone.
- Intensifies for situations where the result is unsuspected
- Implies complete separation, not partial damage
- Part of a broader Southern/Appalachian pattern using clean as an intensifier
Kin Topics
Related Pages
How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, December 18). Clean Off. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/clean-off
- MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Clean Off." HillbillySlang.com, 18 Dec. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/clean-off.
- Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Clean Off." HillbillySlang.com. December 18, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/clean-off.
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