off the bat

== English == === Alternative forms === off the back (eggcorn) === Etymology === From cricket, baseball, and other sports where a bat is used to strike a ball and the players have to make an immediate decision where to run and what plays to make after a successful strike. === Pronunciation === === Prepositional phrase === off the bat (US, idiomatic) From the start; immediately; right away. Synonyms: from the get-go, off the rip, off rip, out of the gate, right off the bat, straight out of the chute