think on your feet

[toto1115]

we are sorry to open one more thread, but could Rusty tell me about these two idioms??

think on your feet

and

think off the top of your head


thanks

[Rusty]

we are sorry to open one more thread, but could Rusty tell me about these two idioms??

think on your feet

and

think off the top of your head


thanks
To think on your feet: Picture a lecturer or politician standing, making a speech. Someone asks him a question. He has no access to references, notes, books, advisors, etc. He must rely on his knowledge, make judgements and decide how to answer the question. In other words, he must think on his feet. The idiom can apply to other situations where a person has to make decisions in the middle of a job, etc.

Off the top of your head: ("Think" is not usually part of the idiom). This means the first thought that comes to you, maybe a quick estimate.
Example: Just off the top of your head, do you know how many planets are in the solar system? Off the top of your head, how many baseball games do you think are played in a season?