on the spur of the moment

Idioms and Phrases

Impulsively, without prior preparation, as in He decided to join a tour to England on the spur of the moment . This expression alludes to the goading action of a spur to a horse. [Late 1700s]

Example Sentences

This second group had no boat of their own, and appeared, to us, to be acting on the spur of the moment, presumably hoping to catch a ride on the other group's inflatable.

From BBC

Maybe on the spur of the moment, you buy it for them.

From Seattle Times

“This all just happened recently, on the spur of the moment,” Richards said.

From Los Angeles Times

All the lights were on for maintenance, so on the spur of the moment he decided to walk inside and look around.

From Los Angeles Times

The killer, who did not know Tomasz and came from another part of Tyneside, said he took a steak knife out with him on the spur of the moment on 3 October.

From BBC