Pair Off
Preserved but no longer current.
When two members of Parliament of opposite parties agree to absent themselves, so that when a vote is taken the absence of one neutralizes the missing vote of the other, they are said to pair off. In the House of Commons this is usually arranged by the Whips.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Pair Off” mean?
When two members of Parliament of opposite parties agree to absent themselves, so that when a vote is taken the absence of one neutralizes the missing vote of the other, they are said to pair off. In the House of Commons this is usually arranged by the Whips.
Is “Pair Off” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.