fob off

try to satisfy someone with something poor or with a weak excuse

C1

What does "fob sb off" mean?

To fob someone off is to get rid of them or silence their complaint by offering something clearly inadequate — a hollow excuse, a vague promise, a cheap substitute, or a deflecting non-answer — rather than dealing with their concern properly. The phrase carries a strong sense of frustration or indignation: the person being fobbed off usually recognises that they are not being taken seriously. It appears most often in consumer, healthcare, and bureaucratic situations — think of a customer given a voucher instead of a refund, or a patient dismissed with a generic explanation. The expression is distinctly British and would sound natural in a complaint letter, an online review, or a piece of tabloid journalism, but out of place in formal or academic writing. What sets it apart from simply ignoring someone is that something inadequate is always being handed over — the offending party makes a show of responding while actually giving nothing of substance.

Examples

How to use it

fob + person + off

The most common structure, where the person being dismissed sits between 'fob' and 'off'.

The airline tried to fob us off instead of offering a proper explanation for the delay.

fob + person + off + with + something

Adding 'with' specifies what inadequate thing is being offered; this pattern is very frequent and makes the dismissal explicit.

They fobbed the complainants off with a form letter that didn't address any of their concerns.

be fobbed off (with + something)

The passive is natural and very common, especially when the speaker wants to express frustration at being treated dismissively.

Every time she called the council, she was fobbed off with a different excuse.

refuse / not be going to + be fobbed off

Often used with verbs like 'refuse' or phrases like 'not going to' to signal that the speaker will not accept inadequate treatment.

He refused to be fobbed off with another vague promise and asked to speak to the director.

don't let + person + be fobbed off

A near-formulaic pattern common in consumer advice, warning someone not to accept an inadequate response.

Don't let them fob you off with a repair voucher — you're legally entitled to a full refund.

Common Collocations

fobbed off with excusesfobbed off with promisesdon't let them fob you offtried to fob me offrefuse to be fobbed offfob customers off

Common Mistakes

Pronoun placed after 'off'

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'fob' and 'off', not after 'off'. Placing a pronoun after the particle sounds unnatural.

✗ They tried to fob off me with excuses.
✓ They tried to fob me off with excuses.
Wrong position for 'with'

The 'with' phrase always follows 'off', not 'fob'. Placing it elsewhere breaks the structure of the idiom.

✗ She fobbed me with a vague answer off.
✓ She fobbed me off with a vague answer.
Confusing 'fob off' with 'brush off'

'Brush off' means to dismiss someone coldly without offering anything at all, while 'fob off' always implies that something inadequate — an excuse, a substitute, a token gesture — is being given. If no inadequate thing is being handed over, 'brush off' is the better choice.

✗ He fobbed off her question without even responding.
✓ He brushed off her question without even responding. / He fobbed her off with a non-committal answer.

Usage

This phrasal verb is much more common in British English than American English, and is typically used to express frustration or warn others about being treated dismissively. It fits informal contexts such as consumer complaints, conversation, and tabloid-style writing, but would sound out of place in formal or academic writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'fob off' mainly British English? Would Americans understand it?

Yes, it is predominantly British English and is much more common in the UK than in the US. American English speakers might find it unfamiliar; they would more likely say 'give someone the runaround' or 'brush someone off' in similar situations. If you're writing for an international audience, it's worth being aware that this phrase may not land as naturally outside a British context.

Does 'fob off' always need a 'with' phrase, or can I leave it out?

The 'with' phrase is optional. Saying 'They tried to fob me off' without specifying what was offered is perfectly natural, especially when the inadequacy of the response is already understood from context. Adding 'with excuses' or 'with a vague promise' makes the dismissal more explicit, but leaving it out is common in everyday speech.

Can 'fob off' be used in formal writing, like a business report or legal document?

It would sound out of place in formal or academic writing. It belongs to informal spoken English and informal written contexts such as consumer complaints, online reviews, and casual journalism. In formal writing, you would more likely say 'dismissed with an inadequate response' or 'given insufficient redress'.

What kinds of things can someone be 'fobbed off' with?

The most typical collocations involve excuses, promises, vague answers, platitudes, vouchers, cheap substitutes, half-truths, and generic apologies — anything that gives the impression of a response without genuinely addressing the complaint. The key idea is that whatever is offered falls clearly short of what the person deserves or expects.

Does 'fob off' describe a one-time action or can it describe something repeated?

It can describe both. A single instance — 'they fobbed me off with an excuse' — is common, but the verb also works well in continuous or repeated contexts: 'They keep fobbing customers off' or 'I'm tired of being fobbed off every time I call'. The frustration implied by the phrase often fits a pattern of repeated dismissal particularly well.

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