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"I am off to Prague". What does it mean? Could you explain this phrase in another words?

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In other words, "I am leaving for Prague." – J.R. Dec 5 '12 at 9:51

closed as general reference by Cameron, J.R., RegDwighт Dec 5 '12 at 10:32

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1 Answer

up vote 2 down vote accepted

"I am off to" is an idiom that means "I'm leaving for" or "I'm going to" somewhere. It can refer to an immediate departure:

I'm off to work right now

or to an upcoming departure:

I'm off to Prague {in a few days / next Monday}.

I suppose that it comes from "I'm taking off for [somewhere]" or "I'm going to [somewhere]" or a combination of the two, but that's just my own folk etymology.

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