English-French translations for on the spot

• séance tenante
• sur place
  Cette requête nous est adressée par les personnes qui se trouvent sur place. This is a question from the people on the spot.
  Des petits bateaux comme des dinghies peuvent bien sûr être reconstruits sur place. Small boats like dinghies can of course be rebuilt on the spot.
  Les organismes internationaux d'aide présents sur place s'occupaient d'eux. The international aid organisations on the spot were looking after them.
• sur-le-champ
  Nous avons pratiquement dû inventer sur-le-champ. We virtually had to make them up on the spot.
  On a dû tout inventer sur-le-champ, en pleine crise, et c'est une responsabilité collective. We had to come up with everything on the spot, in mid-crisis, and that is a joint responsibility.

Definition of on the spot

• At that very moment
• Having to answer or decide without warning or preparation
• In a particular place

Examples

• He liked the house, so he made an offer on the spot
• All the sudden questions put him on the spot and he had to think quickly
• This report comes from our man on the spot in Gaza
• We exercised by jumping up and down on the spot

Related words

• put somebody on the spot
• respondent; () the accused
• correspondence theory
• to throw in the sponge
• spondylolisthesis
• put a spoke in someone's wheel upset the applecart
• for one that is missing there's no spoiling a wedding