English idiom

off the top of one's head

Register · Informal CEFR B2

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Figurative meaning

from memory, without checking or thinking carefully

Why this phrase?

Nothing comes off your head; it means giving a quick answer from memory.

Example

“Off the top of my head, I'd guess about fifty people came.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

spring to mind

to come into your thoughts suddenly and easily

brain power

intelligence or mental ability used to think and solve problems

come to mind

to appear in one's thoughts or memory

go without saying

to be so obvious that it does not need to be stated

rack your brains

To think very hard in an effort to remember or solve something.

stand to reason

to be logical or obvious

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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