Hit it off means to get on well with someone straight away. The idiom describes two people who feel at ease and enjoy each other's company from the first meeting: new flatmates, colleagues, a couple on a date. The expression is conversational; in essays, get on well from the start is used instead.
When would you say hit it off?
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hit it off (with someone); A and B hit it off; hit it off straight away
- My new flatmate and I hit it off straight away because we both love hiking.
- Anna hit it off with the client at the first meeting, and they signed the contract a week later.
What changed
First versionMy colleague and I found a common language on the first day.
RevisionMy colleague and I hit it off on the first day.
Found a common language is a word-for-word translation of an idiom that exists in some other languages. A native speaker will take it literally, as a shared language of communication, such as English. For quick mutual liking, English says hit it off, so only the literal phrase was replaced.
Hit it off is about the start of an acquaintance. If you've been on good terms with someone for a long time, say get along with: I get along with all my neighbours. The word it always stays in the idiom, and the other person is introduced with with: She hit it off with her new manager.
Your turn
Mark and I only talked for ten minutes at the conference, but we ___ and met for coffee the next day.
Show the answer
hit it off — They met for coffee the next day, so the conversation clearly went well: hit it off. Fell out means “had an argument”, and people don't usually meet for coffee right after one.
Think of someone you quickly became friends with at work, while studying or on a trip. Say where you met and what brought you together.
I hit it off with my roommate on a language course in Malta because we laughed at the same silly jokes.
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