on the cuff
Idioms-
On credit, as in He tried to hire a detective on the cuff . It is sometimes put as put on the cuff , meaning “extend credit to,” as in They asked to be put on the cuff until they got their monthly check . This usage probably alludes to the practice of recording bar tabs on the bartender's cuff. Also see off the cuff . [ Slang ; 1920s]
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Free of charge, as in We hope these drinks are on the cuff . [ Slang ; 1920s] Also see on the house .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Art had made a formal shirt for me with a spread collar back in 2022, monogrammed with my initials on the cuff.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
Detectives had some forensic evidence: a bloody fingerprint on a shopping bag and a footprint on the cuff of a white blouse from Wendy's flat.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2021
Jackson laced up her oversized practice gloves with her nickname, “T REX,” on the cuff — 16 ounces, compared with the 10-ounce gloves she fights in.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 15, 2020
Gosh it is frustrating, I don't wear my thoughts of equality on the cuff, but what does our culture want from us guys.
From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2016
She was wearing her black pants and a white shirt with a faded soy-sauce stain on the cuff, and from this Mia knew she was headed in to work.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
