off-hand

off-hand
1) ADJ-GRADED: usu v-link ADJ (disapproval) If you say that someone is being off-hand, you are critical of them for being unfriendly or impolite, and not showing any interest in what other people are doing or saying.

He lapsed into long silences or became offensively off-hand...

Consumers found the attitude of its staff off-hand and generally offensive to the paying customer.

2) ADV: ADV after v If you say something off-hand, you say it without checking the details or facts of it.

`Have you done the repairs?' - `Can't say off-hand, but I doubt it.'...

`Were they at home or away, do you know off hand?'


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Off hand — Hand Hand (h[a^]nd), n. [AS. hand, hond; akin to D., G., & Sw. hand, OHG. hant, Dan. haand, Icel. h[ o]nd, Goth. handus, and perh. to Goth. hin[thorn]an to seize (in comp.). Cf. {Hunt}.] 1. That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • off-hand — (adv.) also offhand, 1690s, at once, straightway, from OFF (Cf. off) (adv.) + HAND (Cf. hand) (n.). Probably originally in reference to shooting without a rest or support. Hence, of speech or action, unpremeditated (1719). Related: Off handed;… …   Etymology dictionary

  • off-hand — means without preparation. People say that they don t know the answer off hand, meaning that they don t know it at that time …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • off´hand´ed|ly — off|hand|ed «AWF HAN dihd, OF », adjective. = offhand. (Cf. ↑offhand) –off´hand´ed|ly, adverb. –off´hand´ed|ness, noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • off|hand|ed — «AWF HAN dihd, OF », adjective. = offhand. (Cf. ↑offhand) –off´hand´ed|ly, adverb. –off´hand´ed|ness, noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • Off hand — Off Off, prep. Not on; away from; as, to be off one s legs or off the bed; two miles off the shore. Addison. [1913 Webster] {Off hand}. See {Offhand}. {Off side} (Football), out of play; said when a player has got in front of the ball in a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • off-hand —    Off hand means without preparation. People say that they don t know the answer off hand, meaning that they don t know it at that time.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • Off-hand —   Off hand means without preparation. People say that they don t know the answer off hand, meaning that they don t know it at that time …   Dictionary of English idioms

  • off|hand — «adverb. AWF HAND, OF ; adjective. AWF HAND, OF », adverb, adjective. –adv. without previous thought or preparation; at once: »The carpenter could not tell offhand how much the work would cost. That question is too important to answer offhand.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • off hand — see off hand …   English dictionary

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