off the cuff

Questions

What does off the cuff mean?

In an off-the-cuff manner.

Where does off the cuff come from?

Purported to be from the habit by after-dinner speakers of jotting a few notes on the cuff of the sleeve.

How to pronounce off the cuff

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “off the cuff”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “off the cuff”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “off the cuff” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.