“Go off the board” is an idiom meaning something is lost or abandoned. It originated as a nautical expression and later began to be used to refer to forgotten or interrupted activities. “Switch to the blackboard” is another phrase used to describe this condition. Idioms may not make sense to those unfamiliar with them.
“Go off the board” means something is lost, forgotten, or abandoned; it is a type of figurative expression known as an idiom. Idioms are phrases that are commonly known in some areas of the world, but may not make sense to others. An idiomatic expression cannot be interpreted using the literal meanings of words. The sides of a ship are known as planks and “go plank” actually originated as a nautical expression. It refers to being thrown or falling overboard and is often used when discussing things that are finished or no longer exist.
When an item is lost, or when an activity has been stopped or abandoned, the phrase “switch to the blackboard” can be used to describe that condition. An example is a student who says his favorite activities have to go on the blackboard during exams. Another possible use of the phrase would be to say that a possession has gone off the board when lost or broken.
Originally a nautical expression, the phrase “go the board” began to be used in the English language during the 1600s. The decks and sides of a ship are called boards. The earliest uses of the phrase referred to instances where the mainmast fell through the deck, or when something went over the sides of the vessel. It is not known whether the phrase originally referred to falling on deck or going overboard, but it was used both ways in written nautical accounts of the time.
Later, the expression began to be used to refer to things forgotten, abandoned or lost, as well as to interrupted activities. This idiomatic translation of the phrase “pass to the chessboard” was used from the 1800s until modern times. It is used both verbally and in writing to refer to a variety of situations that have ended, along with items that have been lost or no longer exist.
Like many idioms, this expression is commonly known in some areas of the English-speaking world, but may not make sense to people in other places. Even when a person knows what individual words mean, he or she often won’t be able to make sense of an idiom unless it is explained. Idioms add an interesting twist to language and are often very evocative of their meanings to those with the requisite background knowledge. To someone unfamiliar with these phrases, or who is just learning the language, they wouldn’t make sense because the meaning has very little to do with the literal definitions of the words.
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