When and how did the phrase "off the meter" become established as an idiom?
Urban Dictionary defines "off the meter" as the condition of being "very good, awesome, great".
I have heard and said it on impulse to mean the great extent.
etymologyidiomsslangusage
When and how did the phrase "off the meter" become established as an idiom?
Urban Dictionary defines "off the meter" as the condition of being "very good, awesome, great".
I have heard and said it on impulse to mean the great extent.
Best Answer
I can think of three possible senses of "off the meter" that might account for the current popular phrase: (1) out of bounds, beyond the dial readings of a light, sound, or other type of gauge, as when the indicator arrow on a meter seems stuck at its extreme high end; (2) unregulated, as when a cab driver turns of the car's fare meter and drives for a special price or for free; (3) syncopated, so that the emphasis of the rhythm falls elsewhere than on the expected beat.
The meaning cited as possible source #1 appears in Frank Herbert, The Dragon in the Sea (1956) [compiled from snippets]:
The meaning cited as possible source #2 appears in Jerry Oster, Sweet Justice (1985), reissued a year later as Rough Justice [compiled from snippets]:
The meaning cited as possible source #3 appears in Michael Tenzer, Gamelan Gong Kebyar: The Art of Twentieth-Century Balinese Music (2000):
One of the first metaphorical use of "off the meter" that a Google Books search finds is from Sean Henry, "Comic Threat," in Mother Jones magazine (November/December 1994):
I think that this instance of "off the meter" probably derives from possible source #1 above, and I suspect that current usage derives from the same source.
Consistent with terpy's answer, the first instance of "off the meter" as a synonym for "very good, awesome, great" to appear in a Google Books search is this one, from a caption in "The Vibe Spot" in Vibe magazine (August 1998):