Definition
Without careful thought or research, speaking from immediate memory or first impression.
Etymology
This American phrase emerged in the 1940s, likely derived from the idea of thoughts sitting on top of one's head, readily accessible without digging deeper. It may also relate to the concept of 'off-the-cuff' speaking, suggesting spontaneous rather than prepared remarks. The phrase emphasizes the casual, unrehearsed nature of the response.
Kelly Says
This phrase creates a vivid spatial metaphor for how memory works—it suggests our minds have layers, with some information sitting right on the surface for easy access. It's a humble way to offer information while acknowledging it might not be completely accurate or comprehensive.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ከራሴ እንደ
ke-rashe endē
ARالعربية
من على سبيل الذكر
min ʿalā sabīl aḏ-ḏikr
BNবাংলা
মাথা থেকে
matha theke
CACatalà
de memòria
ðə məˈmɔɾi.ə
CSČeština
z hlavy
z hlɐ.vɪ
DADansk
fra hovedet
fʁa ˈhoːðəð
DEDeutsch
aus dem Stegreif
aʊs deːm ˈʃtɛɡʁaɪf
ELΕλληνικά
από την κορυφή του κεφαλιού
apó tin korifí tou kefaliú
ESEspañol
de memoria
de meˈmo.ɾja
FRFrançais
du bout des doigts
dy bu dɛ dwa
GUGU
માથામાંથી
māthāmā̃thī
HUMagyar
fejemből
fɛjɛmbɔl
IDBahasa Indonesia
dari ingatan
dari ɪŋɡatan
IGIG
site na isi obi
si.te na i.si o.bi
ITItaliano
a mente fresca
a ˈmente ˈfɾɛska
KMKM
ចេញពីក្បាល
cenh pii kbaal
KO한국어
머리 속에서
meori sog-eseo
MSBahasa Melayu
dari ingatan
dari ɪŋɡatan
MYမြန်မာ
မှတ်တမ်းမှာ မပါ
hmat tam: ma pa
NLNederlands
uit mijn hoofd
œy̆t mɑjn hoːft
NONorsk
fra hodet
fʁa ˈhoːdə
PLPolski
z głowy
z ɡwɔ.vɨ
PTPortuguês
de cabeça
dɨ ˈka.bɛ.ʃa
RUРусский
с верха головы
s ˈvʲɛrxɐ ɡɐˈlovy
SVSvenska
uppifrån huvudet
ɵpˈfyrɑn hɵvʉdɛt
SWKiswahili
kutoka kwenye kichwa
kutoka kwenye kichwa
TAதமிழ்
தலையிலிருந்து
thalaiyilirundhu
TEతెలుగు
తలపైనుంచి
thalapainunchi
TLTL
mula sa ulo
mula sa ʔulo
TRTürkçe
hafızadan
hɑfɪˈzɑ.dɑn
UKУкраїнська
з верхівки голови
z verkhivky holovy
VITiếng Việt
từ trên đỉnh đầu
từ trên đỉnh đầu
YOYO
ní í gbàgbé
ni igbagbe
ZUZU
ngaphezulu komhlaba
ŋaɓezulu komhlaba