OFF THE SHELF

Good morning.

The idea for today's Daily Vitamin came up during a class last Tuesday with one of Ziggurat's greatest students, Jordi the architect.

Today's expression is: (To buy something) off the shelf

Meaning: something that can be bought immediately and does not have to be specially designed or ordered.

Example 1:
Off-the-shelf products are generally cheaper and more quickly available than custom-made products.

Example 2:
Things have changed a lot in the past ten years. Now almost anyone can buy a mobile phone off the shelf. 

Other similar terms are off the rack or ready-to-wear, especially when talking about clothing.

Example 3:
I would love to be able to buy custom-made suits, but for now I have to settle for suits off the rack.

If you have questions about today's Daily Vitamin, please post them in the Daily Vitamin Plus! forum section on our website (www.ziggurat.es).

Have a great day!