off the cuff

off the cuff
adverb
without preparation
-

the presidential candidate made a remark off the cuff

* * *

2 I spoke off the cuff: WITHOUT PREPARATION, without rehearsal, impromptu, ad lib; informal off the top of one's head.
→ cuff

* * *

adjective (or adverb)

* * *

off the cuff
1. Unofficially and offhand
2. Improvised
• • •
Main Entry: ↑cuff
————————
off the cuff see under ↑cuff1
• • •
Main Entry: ↑off

* * *

informal without preparation

they posed some difficult questions to answer off the cuff | [as adj.] an off-the-cuff remark

Origin:
as if from impromptu notes made on one's shirt cuffs

* * *

off the cuff
: without being prepared in advance : without planning or preparation

He talked/spoke off the cuff about his work on the project.

I had to give the speech off the cuff.

— see also ↑off-the-cuff
• • •
Main Entry: ↑cuff

* * *

ˌoff the ˈcuff idiom
(of speaking, remarks, etc.) without previous thought or preparation

•

I'm just speaking off the cuff here— I haven't seen the results yet.

•

an off-the-cuff remark

Main entry: ↑cuffidiom

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • off-the-cuff — {adj.}, {informal} Not prepared ahead of time. Used of a speech or remarks. * /Jack was made master of ceremonies because he was a good off the cuff speaker./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • off-the-cuff — {adj.}, {informal} Not prepared ahead of time. Used of a speech or remarks. * /Jack was made master of ceremonies because he was a good off the cuff speaker./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • off-the-cuff — adj. with little or no preparation or forethought; unrehearsed; extemporaneous; offhand. his off the cuff remarks offended many people; an off the cuff toast Syn: ad lib, extemporaneous, extemporary, extempore, offhand, offhanded, unpremeditated …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • off-the-cuff — adjective, adverb if you say something off the cuff, you do not plan it or think about it first: an off the cuff reply/remark/comment She s very good at speaking on these issues off the cuff …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • off-the-cuff — adj [usually before noun] an off the cuff remark, reply etc is one that you make without thinking about it first = ↑spontaneous >off the cuff adv …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • off the cuff — If you do something off the cuff, you do it without any preparation …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • off the cuff — ► off the cuff informal without preparation. [ORIGIN: as if from notes jotted on one s shirt cuffs.] Main Entry: ↑cuff …   English terms dictionary

  • off the cuff — [adj] impromptu ad lib, extemporaneous, improv*, improvised, improviso, off hand, played by ear*, shot from the hip*, spontaneous, spur of the moment, unpremeditated, unprepared, unrehearsed, unscripted, whipped up*, winged*; concept 267 …   New thesaurus

  • off-the-cuff — off′ the cuff′ adj. with little or no preparation; impromptu • Etymology: 1940 …   From formal English to slang

  • off-the-cuff — adjective with little or no preparation or forethought his ad lib comments showed poor judgment an extemporaneous piano recital an extemporary lecture an extempore skit an impromptu speech offhand excuses trying to sound offhanded and reassuring …   Useful english dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”