Photo credit: Science Photo Library
Here’s another common phrasal verb that I’ve heard on many occasions, which means ‘to leave quickly or suddenly’. This is how it’s used:
– I need to shoot off in about five minutes, is it OK with you?
– I’ll have to shoot off as soon as the lesson finishes, otherwise I’ll miss my train (usingenglish.com).
– The touring All Blacks arrived in Britain in September that year, much to the delight of rugby fans everywhere. These days, with the advent of efficient air travel, we are used to short tours – rugby sides come, play one or two games and then shoot off again (BBC).
– The Ministry of Defence file reports that witnesses said the UFO hovered for several minutes above a field before shooting off in a flash of light (The Guardian).
– The Khmer elite runners, most of the top team, jogged up and down to warm up, bouncing as if they were on springs. Finally we were off. I tried to settle into my pace and not shoot off too fast (The Guardian).
Confessions of the Linguistic Spy 