THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Off the cuff
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
Without preparing your words in advance.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- I answered the question off the cuff because I hadn’t expected it.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.
0 of 1 checked correctly
Can you recall the expression?
Complete the example using the expression from this lesson.
I answered the question ________ because I hadn’t expected it.
Show the answer
Off the cuff — Without preparing your words in advance.
Try your own sentence (optional)
Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Off the cuff” about your own life.
Check your sentence
Does your sentence match this meaning?
Without preparing your words in advance.
Compare: I answered the question off the cuff because I hadn’t expected it.
Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.
Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.
This quiz is for practice. To save lesson completion on this device, complete the checks in the app.
GO DEEPER
More ways to understand and use it
Jump to a section
When to use it
Use this expression about spontaneous remarks, answers or speeches. It is natural in conversation and descriptions of presentations.
More examples in context
- The organiser said a few words off the cuff before the performance.
- His off-the-cuff suggestion gave us a useful starting point.
Usage note
Use hyphens when it comes before a noun: “an off-the-cuff answer”. Spontaneous speech can be accurate or inaccurate; the expression itself describes preparation, not quality.
A short conversation
A: Did you write that short speech beforehand?
B: No, I spoke off the cuff.
A: You sounded very natural.
One more practice question
Which speaker is speaking off the cuff?
A. Someone answering an unexpected question without prepared wording.
B. Someone reading a fully rehearsed script word for word.
Check your answer
A. Off-the-cuff speech is produced without advance preparation of the words.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.