on the cuff

1. On credit, as in He tried to hire a detective on the cuff . It is sometimes put as put on the cuff , meaning “extend credit to,” as in They asked to be put on the cuff until they got their monthly check . This usage probably alludes to the practice of recording bar tabs on the bartender's cuff. Also see off the cuff . [ Slang ; 1920s]

2. Free of charge, as in We hope these drinks are on the cuff . [ Slang ; 1920s] Also see on the house .

Example Sentences

"I think people just want the live genre to be respected and people not to think that they can just come and do a show on the cuff," she says.

From BBC

Art had made a formal shirt for me with a spread collar back in 2022, monogrammed with my initials on the cuff.

From Los Angeles Times

"I ordered sunflower appliqués — the flower of Ukraine and a symbol of hope and solidarity — and had one sewn on the cuff of my dress. It was small but shined against the deep cobalt blue of my sleeve. That night, sitting next to the Ukrainian ambassador, I knew that I was sending a message without saying a word," she said.

From Salon

Detectives had some forensic evidence: a bloody fingerprint on a shopping bag and a footprint on the cuff of a white blouse from Wendy's flat.

From BBC

The squirrel’s bushy red fur, the bird’s sleek feathers and the glistening gold chain join the dense white fur of the young woman’s hoodlike cap, the fine strands of her neatly parted hair, the linen shawl draped around her shoulders, the filmy transparency of her dress’ sheer bodice and the gentle white ruffle on the cuff peeking out from beneath her sleeve.

From Los Angeles Times

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