right off the bat
right off the bat (idiom)
/raɪt ɔf ðə bæt/
Meanings
- Immediately, without delay.
- From the very beginning of an activity or event.
- Straight away, without hesitation.
Synonyms: immediately; instantly; right away; straight away; at once.
Example Sentences
- We knew right off the bat that the project would be a success.
- She impressed everyone right off the bat during the interview.
- The team scored a goal right off the bat in the first minute.
- He asked a tough question right off the bat, surprising everyone.
Origin and History
The phrase “right off the bat” originated from bat-and-ball sports, specifically baseball. The literal meaning refers to a ball leaving the bat immediately after being hit, and this naturally evolved into the figurative sense of “immediately” or “without delay.” This interpretation dominates linguistic studies and historical references. The connection between the phrase and baseball terminology is clear and deliberate, reflecting the sport’s influence on American English expressions.
There were also older bat-and-ball games like cricket in Britain that used similar expressions, but these did not shape the modern phrase as we know it today. Baseball is the direct and verifiable source of the idiom’s popularity and figurative sense in English. Early references also include variants such as “off the bat” and “hot from the bat,” but the core meaning has remained tied to the idea of instant action from the moment the bat strikes the ball.
Country of First Appearance
The expression first appeared in the United States, where baseball originated and became widely popular during the mid-19th century. American newspapers from the late 1860s show the phrase in actual game descriptions, cementing its roots in American sports culture. The idiom’s first usage in print is firmly linked to U.S. publications, and its spread into figurative language also began there.
Earliest Printed Record
The first known printed instance of the phrase occurred in the New York Clipper on October 31, 1868, in a report on a baseball championship match between the Mutuals and the Atlantics. The report states:
“Mills, after two strikes, was taken on a wonderfully sharp tip, right off the bat by his namesake.”
This clearly shows the original literal meaning tied to baseball action, describing a play immediately following contact with the bat.
First Figurative Uses in Print
By the 1880s, the phrase had moved beyond sports writing and entered everyday conversation. A widely circulated anecdote in 1888 illustrates this figurative sense:
“Let me hear that kid use slang again, and I’ll give it to him right off the bat. I’ll wipe up the floor with him.”
Here, the expression means “immediately” or “without delay,” and the context demonstrates its early adoption as an idiom in American speech.
Variants
- off the bat
- right from the bat
- straight off the bat
Share your opinions