Question

in_the_loop_782 to improvise; to do something without planning or preparation Similar: by the seat of (one’s) pants, play it by ear Conversation

Accepted Answer

WING IT Today is the day I’m supposed to present my report to the board of directors, but I’m not at all prepared. When I stand up in front of them, I’m going to have to wing it.We don’t know how we’re going to handle the situation. It’s hard to plan for something like this in advance, so we’ll just wing it and hope for the best. Dating from the late 19th century, wing it was originally a theatrical term. Impromptu (unprepared) actors would quickly look over their speaking lines before going onto stage and then someone in the wings (behind the stage curtains) would prompt the actors on their exact lines.

Id	in_the_loop_782
Idiom	WING IT
Definition	to improvise; to do something without planning or preparation
Examples	Today is the day I’m supposed to present my report to the board of directors, but I’m not at all prepared. When I stand up in front of them, I’m going to have to wing it. We don’t know how we’re going to handle the situation. It’s hard to plan for something like this in advance, so we’ll just wing it and hope for the best.
Cross-Refs	Similar: by the seat of (one’s) pants, play it by ear
Extra Info	Dating from the late 19th century, wing it was originally a theatrical term. Impromptu (unprepared) actors would quickly look over their speaking lines before going onto stage and then someone in the wings (behind the stage curtains) would prompt the actors on their exact lines.
Category	Conversation

Wing I’m Actors Stage Loop Improvise Planning Preparation