"off the hook," "off the hinges" (= outstanding, great)

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

    On the "Judge Judy" TV program today, a young (11 years old?) African-American girl and her mother were very pleased with the judge's ruling.  First the mother expressed her great pleasure, and then the girl added "Judge Judy is off the hook."

    I had never heard this expression in the meaning "great, outstanding," but a Google search shows it is very much in use and is synonymous with "off the hinges." Slangsite.com gives an example: "Yo, that concert was off the hinges!"

    Now, why would something "off the hinges" be outstanding/great?  To me it sounds broken and in need of repair. As for "off the hook," does that derive from the phone ringing off the hook when something sensational happens?

Gerald Cohen

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org