Advertisement

off-color (adj.)

1858, "defective or inferior because not of a natural or proper color," from off (prep.) + color (n.); originally used of gems; figurative extension to "not of the proper character, of questionable taste, risqué" is American English, 1867.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Definitions of off-color from WordNet

off-color (adj.)
in violation of good taste even verging on the indecent;
an off-color joke
Synonyms: indelicate / off-colour
off-color (adj.)
humorously vulgar;
off-color jokes
Synonyms: bawdy / ribald
From wordnet.princeton.edu