off the reservation

The phrase 'off the reservation' has a controversial history rooted in Native American experiences but is now used metaphorically to describe deviation from expected behavior or norms.

Definition

C1General

(idiomatic, informal)Acting in a way that is unexpected or not in line with established rules.

Example

  • His comments during the meeting were completely off the reservation.

C1Politics

(idiomatic, informal)Breaking away from one's political party or group, usually temporarily.

Example

  • The senator went off the reservation by voting against the party's stance on the bill.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "off the reservation":

go off the reservationoff the trackoff the railsoff the gridoff the chainoff baseout of boundsout of line