地道美语: Off the Cuff（视频讲解）

English in a Minute: Off the Cuff (ZT)
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/media/video/english-in-a-minute/2670645.html?z=0&zp=1
 

Welcome to English in A Minute. A cuff is the part of a shirt that ends at your wrist. Here is the idiom that uses this word: off the cuff. What could that mean? Let's find out.

---I have to give a speech tomorrow and I really do not have time to write it. I will put together some notes. But I think it would be mostly off the cuff.
---That should not be a problem. You do really well when  you do not have a script. I think you are best speeches are usually off the cuff.
---Really? 

This idiom means to speak without much planning. It comes from long ago when many men wore cuff made of paper which they could write on. This let them speak by reading the notes off the cuff. That's English in a minute.

所有跟帖： 

• I learned the idiom and the knowledge that cuff used to be made -肖庄- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/15/2015 postreply 09:06:19

• made of paper. -肖庄- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/15/2015 postreply 09:07:07

• I am surprised to know that, too. -紫君- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/15/2015 postreply 09:10:33

• I learned the idiom "Off the Cuff" in a minute. Thanks 紫君 for sh -南山松- ♀ (97 bytes) () 05/15/2015 postreply 18:26:20

• Fast speed. I am so glad to hear that. 祝松松周末快乐。 -紫君- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/16/2015 postreply 09:25:55

• Off the cuff speech sounds like my type^_^ -京燕花园- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/17/2015 postreply 14:07:12

• Well, some of the good speeches are off the cuff. -紫君- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/22/2015 postreply 09:04:14

• President Barack Obama extended a personal apology for "off-the- -~叶子~- ♀ (214 bytes) () 05/19/2015 postreply 15:55:15

• Thanks for sharing the news. -紫君- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/22/2015 postreply 09:06:24

• 谢谢，学习了，喜欢这样的帖子 -788- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/23/2015 postreply 23:40:55

• 谢喜欢，一起学。 -紫君- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/25/2015 postreply 10:25:05