Short for specification, referring to detailed requirements or standards, or to work done without a guarantee of payment.
Abbreviated from Latin 'specificare' meaning 'to make specific,' from 'species' (appearance, kind) + 'facere' (to make). The gambling sense 'on spec' emerged from speculative investment terminology.
Working 'on spec' originally came from speculative building, where developers would construct houses without buyers lined up. This risk-taking approach became a standard practice in creative industries like writing and architecture.
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