at the drop of a hat

Noun CEFR C2

Definitions

Without any hesitation; instantly.

idiomatic, informal

Equivalents

Española las primeras de cambio al instante de buenas a primerasde inmediato en un abrir y cerrar de ojos

Françaisen un claquement de doigts

Deutschvon einem Tag auf den anderen von heute auf morgen

6 more languages

Ελληνικάστο πι και φι

Suomialta aikayksikön epäröimättä hetkessäkäden käänteessä tuosta vain

Italianoin men che non si dica in un batter d'occhio in un battito d'ali

Polskina zawołanie w mgnieniu oka

Portuguêscom um estalar de dedos em um piscar de olhos num abrir e fechar de olhos

Русскийв мгновение ока запросто мигомту́т же

Examples

“We're expected to just do it at the drop of a hat.”

“If you need ⟳ help ⟳, just call ⟳ on Mike. He can come ⟳ at the drop of a hat.”

“A tremendous thing happened when Dean met Carlo Marx. Two keen minds that they are, they took to each other at the drop of a hat.”

“Let's face ⟳ it. We are swollen up like ⟳ an overfed slug, our breath stinks, the tiniest irritant is magnified ten thousand times, and we cry ⟳ at the drop of a hat.”

CEFR level

C2

Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.

See all C2 English words →

See also

at the earliest at the elbow at the end of one's tether at the end of the day at the feet of at the first

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