on-the-spot

[ on-thuh-spot, awn- ]
See synonyms for on-the-spot on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. done or occurring at the time or place in question: an on-the-spot recording.

Origin of on-the-spot

1
First recorded in 1885–90

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use on-the-spot in a sentence

  • He didn't have a great deal on, I remember, but he was certainly Johnny-on-the-spot that morning!

    Left Guard Gilbert | Ralph Henry Barbour
  • And the Shah of Persia, that ought to have been Muley-on-the-spot for at least three, he's got the palanquin habit.

Other Idioms and Phrases with on-the-spot

on-the-spot

At once, without delay, as in When the boss learned Tom had been lying, he fired him on the spot. This usage suggests that one does not have time to move away from a particular spot. [Late 1600s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.