back-of-the-envelope

Describing something, usually a calculation, that is approximated in a quick, informal, and rough manner, as might be sketched out on a scrap of paper (such as the back of an envelope). When it came time to pay the bill, we had to do some back-of-the-envelope calculations to figure out who owed how much. These are just some back-of-the-envelope figures, but it looks like we should have enough money to pay for the renovation. Hey, double-check my back-of-the-envelope math and make sure I didn't make a mistake somewhere.

See also:

envelope
back-of-the-envelope calculation
on the back of an envelope
sketch out
rounding error
snatched
bring (something) with
bring with
no siree Bob
plot on

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