what is meaning of "off the top of one's head"
and could u pls give me some examples how to use this phrase?
cheers
2006-07-08 20:24:13 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
It means that you give the first answer that you can think of without really having thought about it. For example, I'd didn't research and plan how I was going to answer your question. So my answer was "of the top of my head".
I hope this helps.
2006-07-08 20:28:49 · answer #1 · answered by Joe_D 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
it means to respond without thinking too much about it, i.e. to say the first thing that comes to mind
an example would be if you were to answer these question
1) 2+4=
2)3+3=
3)5+1=
4)7-1=
you would therefore from the top of your head think the answer to the next question will also be 6
2006-07-09 09:04:35 · answer #2 · answered by freedom_of_speech 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are looking for the meaning and origin of lots of phrases there is a book you can buy that has the means of all kinds of phrases like 'off the top of my head' 'green with envy', very interesting book
sorry can't remember the name of the book of the top of my head (hehe) but if you type in 'origin of phrases' in amazon you can find the book
2006-07-09 05:16:39 · answer #3 · answered by Borealis83 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It typically refers to a response to a question that is given with little thought. e.g. Is Jones going to win the election? Off the top of my head, I'd say no. The idea is, well, without really thinking a lot about it, what Jones' policies are, who her opponents are, what their policies are, etc no. The implication being that giving the question that much thought would involve using one's brain, i.e. more than just the top of one's head.
2006-07-09 12:11:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Off the top of one's head means that you didn't really try to figure out your answer but instead answered the first thing that came to your mind.
2006-07-09 03:41:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means to answer a question without refering to any reference source. The answer comes from out of your own brain in other words of the top of your head.
2006-07-09 19:07:05 · answer #6 · answered by malcy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means your instant reaction to something - an instant answer that you don't have to think in depth about, or look up. E.g.
"Can you think of anyone who likes the colour pink?"
"Well, of the top of my head, Violet, Charlotte, James... but I'll have to get back to you about Harry etc."
"How much was last month's phone bill?"
"Off the top of my head, £25? But I'll double check."
"What's the name of that Sociologist?"
"I don't know off the top of my head, but I've got it written down somewhere."
2006-07-09 20:28:35 · answer #7 · answered by old_but_still_a_child 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to do something "off the top of your head" means to do it without any preparation... such as if you come up with a joke in the middle of a conversation, you could say "I came up with that off the top of my head"... another way of looking at it would be if, say, your boss asks you a question possibly about the cost of something (I don't know your occupation, but we'll say you have to bid prices on things) you could give him and approximation and you could say "off the top of my head, I would estimate that to be..." and then give them a number... get the drift??
2006-07-09 03:36:34 · answer #8 · answered by softballchika_03_85 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let me pick at my brain, or I could give you a piece of my mind, but instead I'll just say whatever rolls off the tip of my tounge from off the top of my head! lol
2006-07-09 03:40:05 · answer #9 · answered by snafudotcom 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that is to have a guess at an answer. eg Off the top of my head I think France is going to win the world cup..
2006-07-09 03:30:44 · answer #10 · answered by Bob The Builder 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋