Fly by the seat of your pants

Suggest a Correction

Meaning

To act or navigate by instinct alone, with no plan or tools.

Origin

From 20th-century America, tied to early aviation; 1930s pilots flew sans instruments, slang by 1938 for gut calls. A 1940 'Life' piece uses it for a wild landing.

Variants

  • Seat of pants
  • Fly by pants

Usage Examples

  • No script-we'll fly by the seat of our pants!
  • He flew by the seat of his pants and won the bet.
  • Flying by the seat of her pants, she fixed it.

Browse More

A to Z More F phrases