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got me off

English translation: helped me escape punishment

18:32 Feb 17, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
English term or phrase: got me off
BOYD:
How do you know Jeff Keel?
REESE:
Well you could say he was my mentor. He was good, the best money could buy, a pioneer in criminal law. A copper’s worst nightmare.
BOYD:
Jeff Keel represented you?
REESE:
Jeff Keel got me off.
lim0nka
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:19
Selected answer:helped me escape punishment
Explanation:
Mr. Keel was charged with a crime since he had to hire an attorney to represent him ("a pioneer in criminal law").

Whether he got off (escaped punishment-see definition below) through an acquittal or having the charges against him dropped is unclear (and maybe not important to your understanding of the general idea).

However, I felt that this clarification was necessary.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary:

get off-
a. to escape the consequences or punishment for one's actions.

b. to help someone escape punishment ***
Selected response from:

Paul Weideman
Local time: 23:19
Grading comment
Thank you very much.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +5helped me escape punishment
Paul Weideman
5 +4...
Ivana UK
5 +4got the charges against me dropped
RHELLER
4go free
humbird


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
...


Explanation:
It was due to Keel that I wasn't charged/that I got away with it/that I wasn't sentenced.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-02-17 18:36:35 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

get off
verb
1 [intransitive, adverb(ial)] to escape the consequences of an action
example: he got off very lightly in the accident

2 [adverb(ial)] to be or cause to be acquitted
example: a good lawyer got him off

www.wordreference.com (get off)

Ivana UK
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  cmwilliams (X)
1 min
agree  Natasa Mazar
3 hrs
agree  perke
4 hrs
agree  Jörgen Slet
14 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +5
helped me escape punishment


Explanation:
Mr. Keel was charged with a crime since he had to hire an attorney to represent him ("a pioneer in criminal law").

Whether he got off (escaped punishment-see definition below) through an acquittal or having the charges against him dropped is unclear (and maybe not important to your understanding of the general idea).

However, I felt that this clarification was necessary.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary:

get off-
a. to escape the consequences or punishment for one's actions.

b. to help someone escape punishment ***


    Random House Unabridged Dictionary
Paul Weideman
Local time: 23:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you very much.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  kipruss3
4 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Armorel Young
25 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Clauwolf
1 hr
  -> thanks
agree  Charlie Bavington: well played for pointing out that it could be one of two things. I wld *tend* to interpret it as "acquittal" rather than dropping charges, but I could be mistaken, and certain it is at least open to both possible interpretations (e.g. see Rita's answer)
4 hrs
  -> I also lean towards acquittal, but "get off" has a built-in ambiguity. We can only say with certainty that he escaped punishment, not how he did so. Thx.
agree  Jörgen Slet
14 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
got the charges against me dropped


Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 33 mins (2004-02-17 19:05:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

he represented you explains that this is a lawyer who represented him at his trial. A mentor can be anyone who teaches you \"life\'s lessons\" not necessarily a formal mentor at a workplace

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 00:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  John Bowden
23 mins
  -> thanks John!
agree  Fuad Yahya
46 mins
  -> thanks Fuad :-)
agree  jccantrell: OR, was so good the jury found him not guilty, which is different from dropping the charges.
3 hrs
  -> astute observation, thanksJC
agree  Jörgen Slet: and with Paul and jccantrell
14 hrs
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
go free


Explanation:
One of the few meanings of the phrase "get off" is to "go free", which means got caught but released without punishment. Since there is "me" between these two words, it means "Thanks to Jeff Keel I am a free man".

From "A Dictionary of American Idioms"

humbird
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish
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