cuff (redirected from cuffing)

off-the-cuff

Fig. spontaneous; without preparation or rehearsal. Her remarks were off-the-cuff, but very sensible. I'm not very good at making speeches off-the-cuff.

put something on the cuff

Fig. to buy something on credit; to add to one's credit balance. I'll take two of those, and please put them on the cuff. I'm sorry, Tom. We can't put anything more on the cuff.

See also: put

speak off-the-cuff

Fig. to speak without preparing a speech; to speak extemporaneously; to render a spoken opinion or estimate. (As if one's notes had been written hastily on one's cuff.) she is capable of making sense and being convincing even when she speaks off—the-cuff. I find it very difficult to speak off-the-cuff.

See also: speak

---

off-the-cuff

an off-the-cuff remark is one that is not planned (always before noun) He made several off-the-cuff remarks which he later denied.

---

off the cuff

without any planning I could give an opinion off the cuff, but I'd rather think about it.

Usage notes: usually said about spoken statements