Off the Cuff

What it means

Said without preparation, and usually sounding it in one direction or the other.

Where it comes from

Detachable shirt cuffs were stiff enough to write on, so a speaker could scribble notes there and still claim to be improvising. The phrase is American, from the 1930s.

The puzzle it came from

Off the Cuff was the answer to the Phrasicle of July 1, 2025. The clue read ____ the ____, and the words came out of a grid where every neighbouring pair makes a two-word phrase.

Play today's Phrasicle Play the July 1, 2025 puzzle