Words / B2

of-HAND/ˌɒfˈhænd/

Offhand means without checking, or (disapproving) casual to the point of rudeness: offhand remark; I cannot say offhand. Casual is milder; rude is stronger. An offhand remark in the corridor still went in the log. Mix-up: off-hand as a hyphen; firsthand is from experience. Do not write offhand for a sourced, checked figure.

Meaning

Without checking; also (disapproving) casual to the point of rudeness.

Examples

• “I cannot give the n offhand; it is in the appendix, the chair said.”
• “An offhand remark in the corridor still went in the log, which is the rude-casual sense.”

Good to know

cannot say offhand; an offhand remark / manner. Milder: casual. Trap: firsthand. Meetings, news, and orals. Unchecked or brusque, not “informal but careful”.

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