off like a prom dress
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Making a start, or departing, very rapidly.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
When we heard the police car pull up, we were off like a prom dress.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “off like a prom dress” mean?
Making a start, or departing, very rapidly.
Is “off like a prom dress” formal or informal?
off like a prom dress is generally slang.