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The English We Speak: Sack something off
BBC Learning English's popular segment "The English We Speak" turns the spotlight this week on the phrasal verb "sack something off" — meaning to cancel a plan or to drop something because you can't be bothered. The explanation kicks off when host Georgie admits she has something on every evening this week, is completely worn out, and is thinking of sacking off a few of her bigger commitments.
What this episode answers
What meanings does the phrasal verb "sack something off" carry?
It means to cancel a plan, or to abandon or avoid doing something out of laziness or because you'd rather do something else — a connotation that goes beyond a simple cancellation to include the sense of knowing you should do something but choosing not to bother.
In what situation did Georgie use this phrase on the programme?
Georgie admitted she had something on every evening that week and was exhausted, so she was planning to sack off some of her bigger commitments and was hoping her friends wouldn't mind too much.
What specific examples of "sack something off" were introduced on the programme?
Three examples voiced by BBC colleagues: sacking off a dull optional work training session to go for a coffee instead; sacking off a pre-booked walking tour of Paris after arriving too tired from the flight; and sacking off a trip to buy dinner ingredients because she couldn't face it and got a takeaway instead.
What grammatical features does "sack something off" have?
It is a separable phrasal verb, so the object can follow the full verb-particle unit ("sack off a plan") or sit between the verb and the particle ("sack a plan off") — both word orders are correct.
How did Georgie use the phrase at the very end of the programme?
Just before the closing summary, Georgie half-jokingly suggested they sack off the rest of the programme; Feifei told her not to be lazy since only the summary remained, and they wrapped up the show using the very phrase they had just taught.
This Week's Phrase: Sack Something Off
BBC Learning English's podcast *The English We Speak* takes one expression that native speakers reach for in daily life, unpacks its meaning, and shows it in action. Hosts Feifei (フェイフェイ) and Georgie present a new phrase each episode; this week's is the phrasal verb "sack something off."
How the Phrase Came Up
At the top of the episode, Georgie confesses that she has had something on every single evening this week and is completely worn out. She says she is thinking of sacking off some of her bigger plans and is hoping her friends won't mind too much. Feifei agrees — it sounds like the sensible call, and rest is clearly what Georgie needs. That admission leads naturally into the explanation of the phrase. Feifei chips in with her own example: she knows she really ought to go to the gym, but she would much rather sack it off and spend the evening watching television.
What It Means
"Sack something off" covers two closely related ideas. The first is straightforwardly cancelling a plan. The second is stopping, avoiding, or simply not doing something because you can't be bothered or because something more appealing is on offer. The phrase carries a particular flavour of knowing you should do something, feeling the obligation, and then deciding not to do it anyway — laziness or exhaustion tipping the balance. That combination of half-hearted duty and easy surrender makes it a natural fit for a wide range of everyday situations.
Three Real-Life Examples from BBC Colleagues
The programme features three recorded examples from BBC Learning English staff, each illustrating a different context.
**Skipping a training session**: The work training was optional and tedious, so they sacked it off and went for a coffee instead.
**Cancelling a Paris tour**: They had booked a walking tour of the city, but after the flight they were completely wiped out and decided to sack it off.
**Giving up on the food shop**: They were planning to buy ingredients for dinner but couldn't face the trip, so they sacked it off and ordered a takeaway.
All three examples share the same underlying dynamic: the speaker was aware of what they were supposed to do, but tiredness or a simple lack of motivation won in the end.
Grammar Note: A Separable Phrasal Verb
"Sack something off" is a separable phrasal verb. In practice, that means the object can either follow the full verb-particle combination or be placed between the verb and the particle — both positions are grammatically correct. "Sack off a plan" and "sack a plan off" are equally valid. The programme presents both word orders side by side to make this flexibility explicit for learners.
The Sign-Off Exchange
Before the closing summary, Georgie playfully suggests they just sack off the rest of the programme. Feifei is not having it — she points out there is only the summary left, so there is really no excuse for slacking. The lighthearted back-and-forth lets both hosts put the new phrase to work in real time. The episode closes with a clean restatement: "sack something off" means to cancel something, or to stop doing or avoid something, and as a separable phrasal verb the object can move freely on either side of the particle.
Takeaways
- "Sack something off" means to cancel a plan or avoid doing something out of laziness or preference for something else, carrying a connotation of reluctant surrender to idleness rather than a neutral cancellation.
- It is a separable phrasal verb, so both "sack off a plan" and "sack a plan off" are grammatically correct — the object can sit on either side of the particle.
- The phrase fits a broad range of everyday situations — skipping a gym session, cancelling a travel tour, abandoning a shopping trip — making it a naturally versatile expression in native British English.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.