When you work something out as you go, without having a plan or pattern to follow: “I didn’t have anything to go by, so I just did it ________.”
| PLAYED IT BY EAR | 153 |
| HIT OR MISS | 87 |
| BY EAR | 78 |
| BY GUESS | 75 |
| BY GUESS AND BY GOSH | 59 |
| OUT OF MY HEAD | 58 |
| ON MY OWN | 56 |
| BY TRIAL AND ERROR | 46 |
| AS I WENT ALONG | 28 |
| BY HOOK AND BY CROOK | 27 |
| BY GUESS AND BY GOD | 26 |
| AS IT CAME | 24 |
| BY GUESS AND BY GOLLY | 23 |
| NR | 23 |
| OFFHAND | 20 |
| HELTER-SKELTER | 16 |
| BEST I COULD | 15 |
| BY GUESSWORK | 14 |
| HAPHAZARDLY | 14 |
| FROM SCRATCH | 13 |
| HIT AND MISS | 12 |
| PIECEMEAL | 12 |
| AS I WENT | 11 |
| HAPHAZARD | 11 |
| MY OWN WAY | 10 |
| MY WAY | 10 |
| STEP BY STEP | 10 |
| BY HOOK OR CROOK | 9 |
| FOLLOWED MY NOSE | 8 |
| BY INSTINCT | 7 |
| BY RULE OF THUMB | 7 |
| IN MY HEAD | 7 |
| AS BEST I COULD | 6 |
| BY GUESS AND BY GORRY | 6 |
| FELT MY WAY | 6 |
| AS IT CAME TO ME | 5 |
| BY HOOK OR BY CROOK | 5 |
| OFF THE CUFF | 5 |
| PIECE BY PIECE | 5 |
| AS IT CAME ALONG | 4 |
| AS IT COME TO ME | 4 |
| AUTOMATICALLY | 4 |
| BY GUESS WORK | 4 |
| BY HOOK AND CROOK | 4 |
| FREEHAND | 4 |
| NATURALLY | 4 |
| OFFHANDED | 4 |
| TOOK IT AS IT CAME | 4 |
| WILLY-NILLY | 4 |
| ANY OLD WAY | 3 |
| AT RANDOM | 3 |
| BEST WAY I COULD | 3 |
| BLINDLY | 3 |
| BY CHANCE | 3 |
| BY FEEL | 3 |
| BY HAND | 3 |
| BY MYSELF | 3 |
| BY RANDOM | 3 |
| BY THE ROCK OF MY EYE | 3 |
| FIGURED IT OUT | 3 |
| LITTLE BY LITTLE | 3 |
| OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD | 3 |
| ON MY OWN HOOK | 3 |
| PIECE AT A TIME | 3 |
| SPONTANEOUSLY | 3 |
| AD LIB | 2 |
| AS I CAME TO IT | 2 |
| AS I SAW FIT | 2 |
| AS I THOUGHT BEST | 2 |
| BEST I KNEW HOW | 2 |
| BIT BY BIT | 2 |
| BY EYE | 2 |
| BY GUESS AND BY GODFREY | 2 |
| BY GUESS AND GOLLY | 2 |
| BY GUESSING | 2 |
| BY HEART | 2 |
| BY HIT AND MISS | 2 |
| BY HIT OR MISS | 2 |
| BY IMAGINATION | 2 |
| BY ROTE | 2 |
| BY SIGHT | 2 |
| BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS | 2 |
| CATCH AS CATCH CAN | 2 |
| FROM MY HEAD | 2 |
| GUESSED AT IT | 2 |
| HODGEPODGE | 2 |
| LET IT GO | 2 |
| MADE IT UP | 2 |
| MAKESHIFT | 2 |
| MYSELF | 2 |
| ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT | 2 |
| OUT OF MY MIND | 2 |
| OUT OF MY OWN HEAD | 2 |
| RULE OF THUMB | 2 |
| STEP AT A TIME | 2 |
| TRIAL AND ERROR | 2 |
| WAY I THOUGHT | 2 |
| ACCORDING TO HOYLE | 1 |
| AS BEST AS I COULD | 1 |
| AS I COME BY IT | 1 |
| AS I COULD | 1 |
| AS I GOT TO IT | 1 |
| AS I SAW BEST | 1 |
| AS I SAW IT | 1 |
| AS IS | 1 |
| AS IT COME | 1 |
| AS THE SPIRIT MOVED ME | 1 |
| AS THE SPIRIT STRUCK ME | 1 |
| AS WELL AS I KNEW HOW | 1 |
| BEST I COULD ON MY OWN | 1 |
| BEST WAY I KNEW HOW | 1 |
| BIT AT A TIME | 1 |
| BIT BY PIECE | 1 |
| BLIND | 1 |
| BY BLINDSIGHT | 1 |
| BY DEAD RECKONING | 1 |
| BY ERROR | 1 |
| BY FEELING | 1 |
| BY FRANDOM | 1 |
| BY GOD AND BY GUESS | 1 |
| BY GROPING MY WAY | 1 |
| BY GUESS AND BY DAMNED | 1 |
| BY GUESS AND BY GAR | 1 |
| BY GUESS AND BY GRACIOUS | 1 |
| BY GUESS AND BY GUY | 1 |
| BY GUESS AND BY JINGO | 1 |
| BY GUESS AND WITH GOD | 1 |
| BY GUESS OR BY GOSH | 1 |
| BY HEAD | 1 |
| BY HUNCH | 1 |
| BY INTUITION | 1 |
| BY INVITATION | 1 |
| BY JIP AND BY JIMINY | 1 |
| BY JUDGMENT | 1 |
| BY MEMORY | 1 |
| BY MERANDERING | 1 |
| BY MY EAR | 1 |
| BY MY HEAD | 1 |
| BY MY JUDGMENT | 1 |
| BY MY OWN HEAD | 1 |
| BY MY OWN JUDGMENT | 1 |
| BY MY THOUGHTS | 1 |
| BY PIECEMEAL | 1 |
| BY PRESUME | 1 |
| BY SLEIGHT OF HAND | 1 |
| BY STEPS | 1 |
| BY THE EYE | 1 |
| BY THE HELP OF THE LORD | 1 |
| BY THE RULE OF THUMB | 1 |
| BY THUMB’S RULE | 1 |
| BY TOUCH | 1 |
| CREATED MY OWN PLAN | 1 |
| CROSSED THE BRIDGE WHEN I COME TO IT | 1 |
| CUT AND TRY | 1 |
| DID MY OWN THING | 1 |
| DID ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT | 1 |
| DID WHAT MY MIND TOLD ME | 1 |
| DONE IT | 1 |
| DONE IT BY GUESS | 1 |
| DREAMED IT UP | 1 |
| FOLLOW MY NOSE | 1 |
| FROM HAND TO MOUTH | 1 |
| FROM MEMORY | 1 |
| FROM MY MIND | 1 |
| FROM THE RACK OF MY MIND | 1 |
| FROM THE TOP OF MY HEAD | 1 |
| “GO AS FAR AS I CAN, THEN PLAY IT BY EAR” | 1 |
| GUESS | 1 |
| GUESSED UP ON IT | 1 |
| GUESSING AS I GO ALONG | 1 |
| GUESSWORK | 1 |
| HAD TO JUST GUESS ON IT | 1 |
| HALF-ASSED | 1 |
| HAND TO MOUTH | 1 |
| HARD WAY | 1 |
| IN A HAPHAZARD MANNER | 1 |
| IN A HAPHAZARD WAY | 1 |
| IN MY GOOD OLD TIME | 1 |
| IN MY MIND | 1 |
| IN MY OWN IMAGINATION | 1 |
| IN MY OWN MIND | 1 |
| JACKLEG | 1 |
| LET NATURE TAKE ITS COURSE | 1 |
| LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY WILL | 1 |
| LIKE THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT | 1 |
| LITTLE AT A TIME | 1 |
| MADE IT UP ALL MYSELF | 1 |
| MADE IT UP AS I WENT | 1 |
| MADE IT UP AS I WENT ALONG | 1 |
| MATTER OF FORM | 1 |
| MY OWN JUDGMENT | 1 |
| MY OWN MIND | 1 |
| NOT HAPHAZARD | 1 |
| OFF MY HEAD | 1 |
| OFF MY SHOULDER | 1 |
| OFF ROUGH GUESS | 1 |
| ON A HUNCH | 1 |
| ON MY OWN ACCORD | 1 |
| OUT OF THE TOP OF MY HEAD | 1 |
| OUT THE BLUE | 1 |
| PIECED IT TOGETHER | 1 |
| PLANNED IT AS I WENT | 1 |
| PLAYED CARDS WITH IT | 1 |
| PRETTY WELL AT THAT | 1 |
| PSYCHED IT | 1 |
| PULLED IT OUT OF MY HEAD | 1 |
| ROUGH AND TUMBLE | 1 |
| SCRIBE-RULE | 1 |
| SHIPSHOD | 1 |
| SIGHT UNSEEN | 1 |
| SIMPLEST WAY | 1 |
| SKIPPING FROM HERE TO THERE | 1 |
| SLAP-DASH | 1 |
| TAKE IT AS IT CAME | 1 |
| THROUGH MY HEAD | 1 |
| TOOK IT AS IT COME | 1 |
| TOOK IT IN STRIDE | 1 |
| TOOK IT OUT OF MY HEAD | 1 |
| TOOK POTLUCK | 1 |
| TOOK THINGS AS THEY CAME | 1 |
| USED MY HEAD | 1 |
| USED MY OWN HEAD | 1 |
| VOLUNTARILY | 1 |
| WAY I PLEASED | 1 |
| WAY I THOUGHT IT OUGHTA BEEN DONE | 1 |
| WAY I THOUGHT IT WAS RIGHT | 1 |
| WAY I THOUGHT WAS RIGHT TO DO IT | 1 |
| WAY IT CAME TO ME | 1 |
| WAY IT COMES TO MY HEAD | 1 |
| WENT ACCORDING TO FORM | 1 |
| WENT ALONG AS I COULD | 1 |
| WENT IT BLIND | 1 |
| WHIPPED IT UP | 1 |
| WILLY-WILLY | 1 |
| WINGED IT | 1 |
| WITH A WING AND A PRAYER | 1 |
| WITH MY HEAD | 1 |
| WITHIN MYSELF | 1 |
| WITHOUT THINKING | 1 |
| WORKED IN THE DARK | 1 |
| WORKED IT OUT | 1 |
| WORKED OUT | 1 |
DARE Data Summary by Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.