at the drop of a hat

Etymology
From the customary starting of competitions by making a sweeping downward motion with a cap.

Prepositional phrase

 * 1)  Without any hesitation; instantly.

Translations

 * Arabic:
 * North Levantine Arabic: بغمضة عين
 * Basque: begien itxi-irekian, begien itxi-ireki batean
 * Danish:
 * Finnish: hetkessä, käden käänteessä, tuosta vain,, epäröimättä
 * French: en un claquement de doigts
 * German: von einem Tag auf den anderen,
 * Greek:
 * Italian: in un batter d'occhio, in un battito d'ali, in men che non si dica
 * Polish: na zawołanie, w każdej chwili,
 * Portuguese: em um piscar de olhos, com um estalar de dedos, num abrir e fechar de olhos
 * Russian:, , ту́т же, (without hesitation)
 * Spanish: en un abrir y cerrar de ojos,, a las primeras de cambio, , al instante