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• off-the-cuff
  off-the-cuff

  adjective

  with little or no preparation; extemporaneous; impromptu.
• off the cuff
  off the cuff

  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]

off-the-cuff

American  

[awf-thuh-kuhf, of-] / ˈɔf ðəˈkʌf, ˈɒf- /

adjective

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

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

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off the cuff Idioms  

1. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of off-the-cuff

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

off-the-cuff off the cuff

Carson’s amazing comedic monologues and silly antics gave viewers humor without being annoying, his off-the-cuff quips were hilarious, and interviews with interesting guests sparked laughter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Besides, there’s ample evidence that unvarnished, off-the-cuff statements can hurt musicians more than they help.

From Salon ● Feb. 4, 2026

Delivering off-the-cuff banter in reaction to news of the moment — a requirement for morning TV news — was not his strong suit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026

"We need more AI immigrants to help us on manufacturing floors and do work that maybe we've decided not to do anymore," said Huang, whose off-the-cuff remarks have become a popular CES tradition.

From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026

We’ve all witnessed with embarrassment the off-the-cuff speaker crashing and burning at a wedding, or the panicky TV presenter “drying” on air.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

“Opinion polls are people kind of giving their off the cuff thoughts, but this is about people putting a little bit of money on the line,” Yadav told Salon.

From Salon ● May 24, 2026

Now and then he announces things behind a podium, and there are regular responses to questions in press gaggles, where he reacts off the cuff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

So no one should think this was just Sotomayor riffing off the cuff.

From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suddenly announced it at the 1943 Casablanca conference as an aim of the World War II Allies, he did so off the cuff.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 12, 2026

It stretches plausibility to the breaking point that he would have decided to deliver one as important as this off the cuff.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith