Words / B2

OHV-uh-bord/ˈəʊvəbɔːd/

Overboard means over the side of a ship into the water; go overboard means do something to excess: man overboard; go overboard on decoration. Excessive is the essay twin for the idiom. Do not go overboard on adjectives in the conclusion. Mix-up: onboard (on the ship / staffed); board (the exam board). Do not write overboard for “on the agenda”.

Meaning

Over the side of a ship; go overboard means do something to excess.

Examples

• “Do not go overboard on adjectives in the conclusion, the marker wrote.”
• “A man-overboard drill featured in the seamanship source, which is the literal sense.”

Good to know

go overboard (idiom); throw + noun + overboard; man overboard. Trap: onboard. Essays and news. Excess, or literally off the ship — specify.

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