This is a literal hook.
off the hook
1. Freed from an obligation
- “I was going to give a class on Saturday, but they found another teacher to do it, so I’m off the hook.”
2. (Slang) Really great, really awesome
- “That party was off the hook!”
hooked on something
Addicted to something – it could be a good thing (like a sport) or a bad thing (like drugs).
- My son is completely hooked on video games. He plays them around five hours a day.
hook something up
Attach or connect something – usually a computer or machine.
- I need to hook my printer up to my computer.
hook someone up with something
Help someone get what they are looking for
- If you want to go to the concert, talk to Jerry – he can hook you up with tickets.
hook up with someone
Slang: This can mean kissing someone passionately or having casual sex.
- He was so drunk that he can’t even remember the name of the girl he hooked up with last night.
phone ringing off the hook
Slang: If the telephone is “ringing off the hook,” it means it is ringing constantly.
- It was a really busy day at work – the telephone was ringing off the hook!
swallowed it hook, line, and sinker
Slang: To believe something completely – usually something that is not true.
- When I got back late from the party, I told my mom I had been studying for a final exam at a friend’s house. She swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.
