over and out

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrasetechnical

   Said at the end of a radio message to show you have finished speaking and expect no reply.

   Grammar: Used alone as the last words: 'See you at dawn. Over and out.'

   Patterns

   • say over and out

   The pilot said, 'Landing in five minutes, over and out.'

   In the movie, the captain ends his message with 'Over and out.'

   The scout leader spoke into the radio, finished, and said 'over and out.'

2. 2phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorous

   Used humorously to end any conversation, text or call, especially when you are about to leave.

   Grammar: Informal and playful; it can end a chat or message.

   Patterns

   • over and out for now

   Right, I'm off to bed, over and out!

   He texted, 'Dinner's ready, over and out.'

   She ended the phone call with a cheerful 'Over and out!'

Common combinations

say over and out

The kids love to say over and out when they use walkie-talkies.

end with over and out

He ended the message with over and out.

radio over and out

The pilot's last words were 'radio check, over and out'.

over and out for now

That's all from me, over and out for now.

Synonyms and how they differ

goodbye

It is the ordinary neutral way to end a conversation, whereas over and out sounds playful or like radio talk.

signing off

It describes finishing a broadcast or message and is more neutral than the radio-flavored over and out.

that's all

It simply signals you have finished speaking but has no radio flavor.

Word family

over interjection

said on radio to show you finished and expect a reply

out interjection

said on radio to end contact completely

walkie-talkie noun

a handheld two-way radio

Commonly confused: over and out or over?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “over and out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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