busk it
Busk it is a British informal phrase meaning to improvise or wing it — to proceed without preparation, relying on ability, bluff, and confidence rather than prior planning.
Definitions
Busk it is a British informal phrase meaning to improvise or wing it — to proceed without preparation, relying on ability, bluff, and confidence rather than prior planning. It carries a slightly plucky, make-do spirit: you don't know exactly what you're doing, but you'll figure it out as you go. Common in British work and social contexts when plans fall through and someone has to perform or manage without the usual support. The register is casual and pragmatic.
He hadn't prepared a speech but figured he could busk it, and surprisingly it went down well.
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(UK, informal) To wing it.
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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- do a bunk64%
(British, slang, idiomatic) To escape or flee, especially under incriminating circumstances.
- bunk in62%
(UK, slang) To enter a venue covertly, without permission.
- bunk off62%
(British, slang) To play truant.