Give or get the brush-off

[Xavier da Silva]

Hello everyone,

I already know that "(get/give) the brush-off" (to rebuff, snub or curtly reject someone) is natural/correct. My question: Is "brush-off" still used these days in current English in the examples I made below?

a. I was in love with Anna, so I went up to her and asked for a date, but I got the brush-off.
b. I thought John was my best friend until he gave me the brush-off at a party last weekend.

Thank you in advance!

 

[kentix]

There's nothing wrong with them but they do sound a bit old-fashioned to me.

For a) I might be more likely to expect:
I went up to Anna and asked for a date, but she shot me down.

Although, to be accurate, brush-off has a more negative and impolite tone to it whereas shot me down just could be more of a simple no.

 

[suzi br]

They look OK to me. I might use the phrase.

However, I am not sure how "modern" this phrase is. I have a feeling that younger folk would use different expressions in your contexts.

 

[Xavier da Silva]

Thank you all very much.

they do sound a bit old-fashioned to me

That's what I suspected.

*I think maybe "ignore" or "blow off" (in AmE) might be more common.

 

[kentix]

blow off - blew me off (AE)

In casual situations, definitely. With the right context. More formally, I would expect something different.