General
take this offline
What does take this offline mean?
To continue a conversation privately or one-on-one rather than in front of the whole group, often to avoid derailing a meeting.
"That's a good tangent, but let's take this offline and keep the meeting moving."
Origin
Ironic use of 'offline' to mean 'away from this group', despite conversations happening online too.
Frequently asked questions
What does take this offline mean?
It means to move a conversation out of the current meeting and continue it privately or one-on-one, usually to avoid derailing the group.
Does take this offline mean going off the internet?
No, ironically the follow-up conversation often still happens online; 'offline' here just means 'away from this group'.
When do people say take this offline?
When a discussion becomes a tangent that only concerns a few people, so it's parked for a separate chat to keep the meeting on track.
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