phrase🎓 English idiom

off the top of my head

from memory, without checking

What it means

To say something off the top of your head means to give an answer or estimate immediately from memory, without checking facts or thinking it through carefully. It signals that the response is approximate and may not be exact.

Examples

  • Off the top of my head, I'd say about fifty people attended.
  • I can't recall the exact date off the top of my head.
  • Off the top of my head, I can name three good restaurants nearby.
  • Don't quote me, but off the top of my head it costs around twenty pounds.

Where it comes from

This American expression from the mid-20th century pictures information coming straight from the surface of the mind, without any deeper searching or research.

Related idioms

#a rule of thumb#ballpark figure#ring a bell#wrap your head around

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