Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

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WING IT

to improvise; to do smth. without planning or preparation
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1. Today is the day I’m supposed to present my report to the board of directors, but I’m not at all prepared. When I stand up in front of them, I’m going to have to wing it.
2. We don’t know how we’re going to handle the situation. It’s hard to plan for something like this in advance, so we’ll just wing it and hope for the best.

Similar: by the seat of (one’s) pants , play it by ear. Dating from the late 19th century, wing it was originally a theatrical term. Impromptu (unprepared) actors would quickly look over their speaking lines before going onto stage and then someone in the wings (behind the stage curtains) would prompt the actors on their exact lines.


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