off-the-cuff

[ awf-thuh-kuhf, of- ]

adjective

1. with little or no preparation; extemporaneous; impromptu:

   a speaker with a good off-the-cuff delivery.

Word History and Origins

Origin of off-the-cuff¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Idioms and Phrases

Impromptu, extemporaneous, as in His speech was entirely off the cuff . This term supposedly alludes to the practice of speakers making last-minute notes on the cuff of a shirtsleeve. [1930s]

Example Sentences

Walters took the opportunity to lob some off-the-cuff softball questions.

From The Daily Beast

"I'm still crying," she quipped in the "off-the-cuff" (totally scripted) banter in the segment that followed.

From The Daily Beast

The uproar over Ferguson's off-the-cuff quip sent me back to reread it.

From The Daily Beast

A walk down its main drag, Bedford Avenue, reveals many off-the-cuff looks and subversive appearances.

From The Daily Beast

Twitter, as a chamber of instant reactions and off-the-cuff musings, is in some way a mirror of true character.

From The Daily Beast

They couldn't fool me with their slick off-the-cuff ready-made know-it-all responses!

From Project Gutenberg