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

"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

His work, like his life, seemed like a running improvisation, and the prose work that became “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” offers a nod to the author’s off-the-cuff sensibility.

From The Wall Street Journal

His predecessor, Francis, was a charismatic Argentinian known for his off-the-cuff comments and dramatic gestures.

From BBC

Few people deliver more creative off-the-cuff insults than lawyers.

From Salon

The chancellor went to some effort in her off-the-cuff UK sales pitch to worldwide investors in the US last week.

From BBC