Idiom | Off the Top of Your Head |
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Example | Right off the top of his head he listed all the state capitals in alphabetical order. |
Meaning | stating something quickly and without thinking hard about it |
Origin | In the middle of the 20th century, Americans started using this expression. Thoughts come from your brain, which is in the top of your head. So if you blurt out facts quickly without having to think about them, then you're talking "off the top of your head," as if right out of your brain. |
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