seat-of-the-pants

American  

[seet-uhv-thuh-pants] / ˈsit əv ðəˈpænts /

adjective

1. using or based on experience, instinct, or guesswork.

   a seat-of-the-pants management style.

2. done without the aid of instruments.

   The pilot made a seat-of-the-pants landing.

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Etymology

Origin of seat-of-the-pants

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

But Wings’ initial tour, which began in 1972, was deft and a triumph of seat-of-the-pants improvisation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Trump’s 2016 Iowa campaign was a seat-of-the-pants operation disparately managed by campaign newcomers who, including the candidate, had little idea what the caucuses are.

From Seattle Times

Smith’s approach to organizing the Grey Canyon shows — cold-calling anywhere she could think of — established how she would go about much of her activism and curating for the next two decades: in a mode between seat-of-the-pants and “when the spirit moves me,” as her father would say.

From New York Times

Others came up with a flying crab or a seat-of-the-pants soar.

From Washington Post

But as cases across the country have shown - just in the past four months alone - there is confusion, mixed messages and what some perceive as seat-of-the-pants decision-making on issues that can have life-or-death consequences.

From Washington Times