Something that causes loss of interest or attraction, or a road that branches off from a main route.
Compound of 'turn' and 'off,' first used in the early 20th century for road junctions. The figurative sense of something repulsive or unappealing developed by mid-century, paralleling the physical act of turning away.
The metaphor perfectly captures how we physically and emotionally 'turn away' from undesirable things! The dual meaning creates humorous situations where someone might literally take a turnoff to avoid a romantic turnoff.
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