on the spotadv.adj.
/ˌɒn ðə ˈspɒt/, U.S. /ˌɔn ðə ˈspɑt/, /ˌɑn ðə ˈspɑt/ A. adv.
1. Then and there, straight away, at once.Often the sense ‘at that very location’ is also present to some degree, and so this use may overlap with sense A. 2.
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1647 G. Tooke Belides 36 Saint Severin the souldier, does..bide Victorious on the spot.
1677 G. Miege New Dict. French & Eng. ii. sig. Zz3v/2 To die on the spot, mourir sur la place.
1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 40 ⁋10 In which Engagement there were Eighteen Hundred Men kill'd on the Spot.
1769 H. Brooke Fool of Quality IV. xvii. 11 I shall..run mad on the very spot for joy.
1835 I. Taylor Spiritual Despotism iii. 94 Punishing the refractory either on the spot or in the persons of their posterity.
1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ Valerie's Fate iii I invited them both on the spot to afternoon tea on Saturday.
1910 H. H. Richardson Getting of Wisdom i. 6 The younger children were to be quelled by a threat that she would faint on the spot, if they did not do as she wished.
1981 T. C. Boyle Water Music (1983) i. 29 Get up on your feet and double-time it back to that tent before they shoot you dead on the spot.
2014 Guardian 28 July 21/2 The ‘lab on a chip’ uses organic semiconductors and sensors..to test DNA samples on the spot.
2. At the very place or locality in question; at the scene of the event.
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1668 H. More Divine Dialogues ii. xxi. 302 I should be in so high a rage against the Villain, if I were on the spot, that I should scarce have the discretion how to deliberate to punish him so exquisitely as he deserved.
1756 Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 572/2 The Holy Well [at Malvern] drank on the spot leaves a pertness in the throat approaching the taste of brass or allum.
1796 J. B. Bordley Sketches on Rotations of Crops (new ed.) All the building materials are to be on the spot, ready to be put up as soon as the pit is dug, lest rain damage the pit before the house can be covered.
1811 Gen. Regulations & Orders Army 80 Officers who may be ordered..to return Home from a Foreign Station, are to apply for a Passage to the principal Agent of the Transport Board, on the Spot.
1881 L. B. Walford Dick Netherby xxii Mischief was brewing..and he ought to be on the spot to counteract it.
1948 Spectator 31 Dec. 861/2 I studied the matter on the spot, in the United States.
1971 Country Life 10 June 1444/3 I was fortunate in being on the spot to take this photograph when the Quarter Jack was brought down..for repairs.
2006 Guardian 31 July 13/1 The catch will be salted on the spot and brought back to Lewis in barrels.
3. Stock Market. As traded immediately; at immediate cash rates. Cf. on spot at spot n.1 and adv. Phrases 1c(a). Now rare.
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1805 Commerc. Secretary 144 Potashes, on the spot, R 32; on contract, R 31.
1880 Statist 1 May 195/1 Market dull; New St. Petersburgh Yellow Candle offers at 42s. 6d. per cwt, and Old at 42s on the spot.
1917 Drug & Chem. Markets 19 Sept. 20/2 The Hayti grade of sticks is quoted as high as $46 a ton on the spot.
2003 Daily Tel. 23 Dec. 24/4 The inquiry centres on the exchange's aluminium market, where the metal is bought either on the spot or three months in advance.
4.
a. Cricket. With reference to bowling: to or on the desired place on the pitch. With reference to a bowler: consistently landing the ball at the desired place on the pitch. Cf. spot n.1 14c(a).
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1854 Bell's Life in London 7 May 6/4 He was bowled by a ‘breaker’ from Wisden, who..was wonderfully on the spot.
1854 Bell's Life in London 8 Oct. 6/1 The bowling was reremarkably [sic] straight, but perhaps not quite so much ‘on the spot’ as is generally the case.
1897 Earl of Suffolk et al. Encycl. Sport I. 247/1 To bowl ‘on the spot’ is to bowl a good ‘length’.
1958 Times 31 May 11/3 Shepherd, with his long loping stride, dropped his off-cutters on the spot.
2015 Free Press Leader (Austral.) (Nexis) 11 Feb. 19 Nine of the 10 wickets taken..were bowled, a sure sign that bowlers are right on the spot.
b. More generally: completely accurate, exactly right, perfect; = spot on adj. Now rare.
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the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > exactness, accuracy, precision > [adverb] > exactly so, just
rightOE
evenOE
alrightOE
allOE
evenlya1375
preciselyc1443
very1530
meet1543
on the spot1884
(right) on the button1925
spot on2009
1884 I. Bligh in James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Ann. i. ii. 6 Our ground fielding was, as usual, well on the spot.
1940 Postville (Iowa) Herald 24 Apr. 4/3 Loma Leads is right on the spot with this type of dress.
2006 in E. Gutstein Reading & Writing World with Math. iii. 49 What Marisol said on Friday was right on the spot.
c. Of a person: quick-witted, alert, sharp.
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the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > sharpness, shrewdness, insight > [adjective]
sharpc888
yepec1000
spacka1200
yare-witelc1275
fellc1300
yap13..
seeinga1382
far-castinga1387
sightya1400
perceivinga1425
snellc1425
politic?a1439
quickc1449
pregnant?a1475
pert1484
quick-wittedc1525
apt1535
intelligentc1540
queemc1540
ready-witted1576
political1577
of (a) great, deep, etc., reach1579
conceited1583
perspicuous1584
sharp-witteda1586
shrewd1589
inseeing1590
conceived1596
acute1598
pregnate1598
agile1599
nimble-headed1601
insighted1602
nimble1604
nimble-witted1604
penetrant1605
penetrating1606
spraga1616
acuminous1619
discoursing1625
smart1639
penetrativea1641
sagacious1650
nasute1653
acuminate1654
blunt-sharpa1661
long-headed1665
smoky1688
rapid1693
keen1704
gash1706
snack1710
cute1731
mobile1778
wide awake1785
acuminated1786
quick-minded1789
kicky1790
snap1790
downy1803
snacky1806
unbaffleable1827
varmint1829
needle-sharp1836
nimble-brained1836
incisivea1850
spry1849
fast1850
snappy1871
hard-boiled1884
on the spot1903
1903 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang VI. ii. 323/1 Palm and be always on the spot.
1910 E. M. Forster Howards End xxiv. 153 I say! Howards End—Howards Ended!.. I'm rather on the spot this evening, eh!
1962 N. Streatfeild Apple Bough i. 22 He was..far less on the spot than Myra, in fact he was probably as vague as his parents.
2003 Advertiser (Nexis) 6 Dec. (Mag. section) w4 Iranian girl is young, bright and on-the-spot.
5. With a verb of motion, as to run on the spot: without moving from one's original position; = in place at place n.1 Phrases 2a(a).
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1905 E. A. Roberts Handbk. Free-standing Gymnastics ii. iv. 122 Such movements as preparation-for-jump, jump-on-the-spot, curtsey-sitting, and other balances.
1907 N.Y. Med. Jrnl. 2 Feb. 202/2 You can run ‘on the spot’..and ‘work up a sweat’ in this way that will satisfy any trainer.
1988 P. Wetton Physical Educ. in Nursery & Infant School iii. 37 ‘Hop on the spot’, then ‘jump on the spot’, ‘turn around’ and finally, ‘jog on the spot’.
2008 Guardian 10 May (Weekend Suppl.) 23/2 ‘Back illusions’ (a manoeuvre that involves flipping backwards on the spot).
6.
a. U.S. Criminals' slang. In the situation of being targeted for murder. Now rare.Recorded earliest in to put on the spot at Phrases 2a.
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1927 N.Y. Times 12 Mar. 1/5 The circumstances indicated to the police that they had in gangland parlance, ‘been put on the spot’.
1929 N.Y. Times 17 Feb. 24/4 The two Gusenberg brothers, Peter and Frank, and their followers were ‘on the spot’.
1951 Sandusky (Ohio) Reg. Star-News 20 Nov. 1/4 Albert Anastasia, the reputed boss executioner of Murder, Inc., is ‘on the spot’... That's the word from underworld sources.
b. In a difficult or awkward situation; facing a difficult decision or question; under pressure.Recorded earliest in to put on the spot at Phrases 2c.
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1929 Amer. Speech 4 343 Put-on-the-spot, left waiting at an appointed meeting place.
1932 N.Y. Amsterdam News 11 May 8/2 Honolulu and Scottsboro—these two cities are now on the spot.
1960 C. A. Lockwood & H. C. Adamson Trag. at Honda xiii. 205 Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby..was on the spot... In his opinion, the honor and the prestige of the Navy were at stake.
2002 Financial Times 20 Feb. 8/3 Three years after winning international praise for wrestling with Germany's spiralling state debts and trying to balance the budget, Hans Eichel is on the spot again.
B. adj. Usually hyphenated.
Occurring, made, delivered, etc., without delay or change of place; immediate. Also (of a report or account): made by a person who was present at the scene of an action or event.
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the world > space > place > presence > [adjective]
boundc1175
present1340
towarda1375
presentlya1425
assistant1485
presentiala1500
presentaneous1668
assisting1670
standing1788
on the spot1886
on-site1939
the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > seeing or looking > [adjective] > witnessing
witnessing1859
on the spot1886
the world > time > duration > shortness or brevity in time > [adjective] > instantaneous
instantany1633
unmomentary1635
instantaneal1644
instantaneous1651
touch and go1682
presto1767
snappy1872
overnighta1911
durationless1919
split-second1946
on the spot1960
1886 G. M. Hopkins Further Lett. (1956) 257 Some on-the-spot account of the late riots, as witnessed by yourself or friends and informants.
1939 Public Opinion Q. 3 561 The freshness and immediacy of on-the-spot telecasting, and the documentary approach, may have a salutary effect upon the theater newsreel.
1960 Guardian 11 Apr. 8/1 The use of traffic wardens and on-the-spot fines.
1992 Metro (San Jose, Calif.) 7 May 60/1 Self-service setup with mouthwatering traditional recipes, fresh ingredients, on-the-spot prep, low-fat and lard-free dishes.
2002 Which? Feb. 14/2 The majority of shops provided written information about safety equipment but..only around half the outlets gave on-the-spot advice.
Phrases
P1.
man on the spot n. a local official, agent, or informant of a government, company, news agency, etc., esp. in a foreign country; a person with immediate responsibility or authority; (also) a local eyewitness.
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1746 Laws, Ordin. & Inst. Admirality Great Brit. II. x. 98 If there be no Consul, nor any other English Man on the Spot, in that case the said Goods and Effects shall be committed to the Custody of the Cadi of the said Place.
1793 Parl. Reg. 1781–96 XXXIV. 115 We shall have a man on the spot, cloathed with the character of an Ambassador, that we might be in a situation to treat with France.
1837 Amer. Jrnl. Sci. 31 65 I also conversed with a man on the spot, for many years a resident here.
1897 I. Malcolm in R. S. Churchill W. S. Churchill (1967) I. Compan. ii. xii. 848 I write like the ‘man on the spot’ The most inconceivable rot.
1955 G. Greene Quiet Amer. i. ii. 21 I always like to know what the man on the spot has to say.
1973 D. J. Boorstin Americans: Democratic Experience xliii. 390 By the late twentieth century the man on the spot, the viewer of the experience where it actually happened, began to feel confined and limited.
2008 C. Robbins Apples are from Kazakhstan viii. 246 These were not the first words I expected to hear from the BBC's man on the spot.
P2. to put (a person) on the spot.
a. U.S. Criminals' slang. To target (a person) for murder. Now rare (historical in later use).
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1927Put on the spot [see sense A. 6a].
1931 E. Wallace On Spot viii. 103 They never gave you a chance, Shaun. They put you on the spot, didn't they?
1961 Spectator 8 Sept. 318/2 When a rival gangster was put on the spot, the objective was making sure that he was very dead.
b. colloquial (originally U.S.). To prove or establish that (a person) was present at the scene of a particular event, esp. a crime.
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1928 Detective Fiction Weekly 11 Aug. 735/2 The banker did not dare identify us for fear that we would expose his part in the plot, but we learned that the State still had one reliable witness, who could ‘put us on the spot’.
1956 ‘E. Ferrars’ Murder moves In x. 99 I can put him on the spot at the time of the murder—right—on—the—spot!
2013 National Public Radio (transcript of radio programme) (Nexis) 8 July He can put him on the spot of some of the most violent episodes that these jurors will ever hear.
c. colloquial (originally U.S.). To put (a person) into a difficult or awkward situation; to present (a person) with a difficult decision or question, esp. one that requires immediate action or response.
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1929Put-on-the-spot [see sense A. 6b].
1934 G. Ade Let. 24 June (1973) 184 The Democrats have put every independent voter on the spot by nominating [Sherman] Minton at the dictation of Paul McNutt.
1960 H. Innes Doomed Oasis ii. iii. 145 I couldn't exactly say it in my report of the search. It would have put the Company on the spot, if you see what I mean.
2003 T. Richards & E. Blehm P3 175 Someone tried to put him on the spot by asking what the ‘X’ stood for.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.adj.1647