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Definition: Extemporaneously; in an impromptu manner; without having precise knowledge or without careful thought.
People often use this before listing several of their ideas that they think of first.
Origin of Off the Top of My Head
Imagine if your head was filled with ideas. The ones on the top would be the easiest to retrieve, and they are the easiest to find.
These ideas might not be the best ones that you had, or the ones that have been carefully examined. This is the imagery that comes to mind with this expression.
This idiom originated in American in the mid-1900s. People typically say this before sharing their initial reaction to something, a rough estimate of a figure, or their first ideas.
An early example of this phrase can be found in Harold L. Icke’s 1939 Secret Diary:
- He was impetuous and inclined to think off the top of his head at times.
Examples of Off the Top of My Head
Maria: Mom and Dad are so hard to surprise. I think it will be impossible to think of something unexpected to do for their anniversary.
Franco: That’s not true! It will be easy to come up with some ideas.
Maria: Oh yeah? Like what?
Franco: Well, just off the top of my head, we could make a compilation of their cutest moments from old videos. Or we could orchestrate a flash mob to tell their love story through dance. Or, we could recreate the moment they first met.
Maria: Those all sound like a lot of work.
Franco: You didn’t say the ideas had to be easy as well as surprising. And as I said, those were just the ideas of the top of my head. If you give me a little more time, I can think of some better, more carefully prepared ideas.
Lorenzo: I can’t get below a 90% on our final test, or I’ll fail the class.
Alba: Are you sure? How much is the final test worth in the overall score for the class?
Lorenzo: I can’t remember exactly, but off the top of my head, I’d estimate about 25% of the total score.
More Examples
The excerpt below is about ideas for a football team to improve.
- “There were a lot of things I thought we did good, there were a lot of things I feel we need to work on,” he said. “Off the top of my head I can point to a couple, but I thought for the most part we moved the ball pretty good especially in that two-minute drill.” –OC Register
This excerpt is from an article about bringing manufacturing jobs back to Chicago.
- Chicago is a city with a rich manufacturing heritage. If you look back at the history of the city, what was made here and still is made here, and you look at the South Side of Chicago and what is truly needed from a societal point of view there, we don’t know of a better place, off the top of my head today, where we would go. –Chicago Tribune
Summary
The idiom off the top of my head describes ideas or estimates that someone has spontaneously, without careful thought beforehand.
I cannot think of any good examples off the top of my head, but give me a couple of hours and I'm sure I could come up with something.
- 1990, Ronald Inglehart, Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society, Princeton University Press, →ISBN, : Ideally, one would wish to explore them through a series of depth interviews extending over several months, rather than by a brief survey interview, which necessarily tends to elicit responses off the top of one's head.
- 2004, Christopher Peterson, Martin E. P. Seligman, Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, : These responses are not analyzed but are intended to discourage answers off the top of one's head to the next question, which explicitly asks if these situated responses reflect the strength of character on focus.
2008, Christine Son, Off the Menu, Penguin, →ISBN:
“Oh, I don't have my stuff with me, and I don't know her work phone number off the top of my head. Here, take one of my cards.” “Are you a lawyer, too?” he asked, and then perused her information.
What does on the top of his head mean?
In an impromptu way, without much thought, as in Off the top of my head I'd say we'll double our profits in a year. This idiom suggests one has not used the inside of one's head before making some statement. [ Mid-1900s]
What does off my head mean in slang?
Definition of 'off one's head' If you say that someone is off their head, you think that their ideas or behaviour are very strange, foolish, or dangerous. [mainly British, informal, disapproval]
What does off the top mean in slang?
"Off the top" is a colloquial expression that typically means doing something spontaneously or without much planning or forethought. It can also refer to something done without preparation or rehearsal, such as improvisational speaking or performing.
What is an example of the idiom off the top of your head?
There are some good restaurants around here, but I can't tell you their names off the top of my head. "Do you remember her name?" "Not off the top of my head."• I keep doing stuff off the top of my head. "How much is the house worth?" "Off the top of my head, I'd say it's worth maybe $160,000."