From memory or without much or careful consideration. A: "How much can we expect to earn this quarter?" B: "Off the top of my head, it should be around $200,000, but I'll have to check the figures when I get to the office." I know of two people who are coming off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure more said they'd be here. John can list the capital cities of all 50 states off the top of his head. See also: head, of, off, top Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved. If you say something off the top of your head, you say it without thinking about it much or without trying to check it or find out more facts about it. I can't remember off the top of my head the date of the wedding. I'm thinking off the top of my head here. OK, off the top of your head, do you know the capital of South Korea? See also: head, of, off, top Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012 1988 Jamaica Kincaid A Small Place He apologises for the incredible mistake he has made in quoting you a price off the top of his head which is so vastly different [favouring him] from the one listed. See also: head, of, off, top Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
See also: head, of, off, top
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
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off the top of your head
Tell me, dear reader, without consulting your notes or your newspaper, how many names can you recite off the top of your head as the ones you will shade on your ballot come election day?
Do you happen to have something off the top of your head that I could pass on to offer him a new perspective on the issue?
Off the top of your head, how many actual words do you guys think are on the new album [ST CD]?
Bet you can't name 'em all, off the top of your head: Oh, yes he can: Lovey, Pebbles, Betty Boop, Gracie, Precious, Troubles, Half Pint, Baby Snap, Moose, Buddy and Cody.
Q DO you know anyone like your character Rachel, or is this just something off the top of your head?
off the top of one's head
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see off, top, head.
- [idiomatic] In an extemporaneous manner; without careful thought, preparation, or investigation.
Synonyms: offhandedly, on the spot
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], page 130: 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], page 633: 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.
Usage notesEdit
- Usually used to characterize the manner of one's thinking or speaking.
- Often indicates a random piece of information put forth by a knowledgeable expert in the topic spoken within.
TranslationsEdit
See alsoEdit
Further readingEdit
This page is about the idiom off the top of your head
INFORMALMeaning
If you give someone information off the top of your head, you do so from memory, without checking beforehand.
- I can't tell you Maxine's phone number off the top of my head. I'll have to check.
- I don't know for sure, but off the top of my head I'd say that renting a two-bedroom apartment would cost about a thousand dollars a week.
See Idiom of the Day today
Contributor: Matt Errey
Next idiom: on the one hand | on the other handFrom Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishoff the top of your headoff the top of your headinformalIMMEDIATELYTHINK ABOUT if you say something off the top of your head, you say it immediately, without thinking carefully about it or checking the facts Just off the top of my head, I’d say there were about 50. → topExamples from the Corpusoff the top of your head• It was all off the top of my head.• ""How old is Chris?" "I don't know off the top of my head."• In my imagination, I can lift off the top of my head, just like a lid.• 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."