fob off

English

Verb

(informal, transitive) to put off by evasion
When I phoned up, I was fobbed off with a string of excuses.
- 1608, William Shakespeare, Coriolanus, i, 1:
  You must not think to fob off our disgrace ; but, an't please you, deliver.
- Milton
  A conspiracy of bishops could prostrate and fob off the right of the people.
(informal, transitive) to fraudulently dispose of (goods)
He fobbed off the forgery as genuine.

Synonyms

(to fraudulently dispose of): foist, pass off, palm off, pawn off

References

1897 Universal Dictionary of the English Language, Robert Hunter and Charles Morris, eds., v 2 p 2146.

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