# So to speak



## Dr.Appalayya

I want to know the correct usage of phrase ' so to speak'


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## Kenya

Let's see... I think it's a way to for speakers to distance themselves from the statement or to indicate that they're using some sort of specific language like jargon or metaphorical language that might not be apparent from the context.

I found this example on a website:

"My grandfather is 74, and he plays golf every day - it's a sport you can play even as you head into the sunset, so to speak."

Here the speaker uses it to show that heading into the sunset is a sort of metaphor for the end of life (and it's also a cowboy movie cliche).


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## Tabac

Kenya said:


> Let's see... I think it's a way to for speakers to distance themselves from the statement or to indicate that they're using some sort of specific language like jargon or metaphorical language that might not be apparent from the context.


Good explanation, Kenya!


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## sat

Does that phrase have any particular meaning, or is it just another way of saying "to put it in another way", "that is", "in other words", etc?
Is it probable it means "to speak clearly", "to tell the truth"?


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## Tresley

For 'so to speak' you could also say 'in a manner of speaking' or 'as it were'.

We often use 'so to speak' after saying a colloquialism, something slang or something that the person speaking would not normally say himself/herself.

I hope this helps.


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## sat

Yes! Thank you very much!


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## hly2004

Hi, Tresley:

I want to take this oppotunity to ask the same question,  I don't know the meaning clearly. Can you explain it with the following example for us please? (it's an example from my longman dictionary)

We have to pull down the barriers, so to speak, of poverty.
We have to pull down the barriers of poverty.
What's the difference?
Thanks in advance!


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## Tresley

Hello hly2004,

I am pleased to help you. No problem.

"To pull down the barriers" can be expressed in a more academic way. "To pull down" is not slang, but it is something that is usually used in spoken English. The writer of this sentence was probably thinking that "to remove" would be a better way of expressing "to pull down", so he added "so to speak" to make sure that the reader understood that he would not nornally use the phrase "to pull down".

I hope you understand.


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## Josh_

Here is another thread that may provide some insight as well as possible alternatives to 'so to speak'.


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## Tresley

In other words:

"We have *to remove* the barriers of poverty"

"so to speak" referred to "to pull down".

OK?


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## sat

So, it actually refers to whats precedes, rather than what follows, right?


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## Tresley

sat said:


> So, it actually refers to whats precedes, rather than what follows, right?


 
YES! It always refers to what is said BEFORE.

For example:

Word Reference is cool, so to speak, don't you think so?

"is cool" isn't something that I would usually say.

Do you understand now?


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## sat

Perfectly! Thank you so much!!!


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## hly2004

I see, Thanks~!


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## Tresley

I am happy to have helped.  I tried to explain as simply/easily as possible.

The thread that Josh (although helpful) was nevertheless confusing when I read it.


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## prankstare

Well, I know "so to speak" is a like an adverb (am I right?) and that is synonym of "one can say" and "as it were".

I'm not sure how this expression can be used though -- can you guys provide some examples, please?


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## E-linguist

It is apparently a phrase used (in spoken form) when you are saying something in words that do not have their usual meaning. The example I found was:

" We have to pull down the barriers, so to speak, of poverty."

BTW, I think this phrase is not used that often anymore. Anyway, try performing a search of the phrase  on the web and see if the definition coincides with the contexts in which it occurs.

Good luck!


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## Forero

It is adverbial, I suppose, but is not to be taken literally.  It is a kind of meta-comment on the language itself.

"So to speak" is a warning to the reader or listener that a word or phrase might be misinterpreted or sounds incongruous but that the writer or speaker has decided to use it anyway.

"For lack of a better term" has a similar meaning but says that the speaker would prefer a more straightforward term but doesn't know one, or doesn't have time to work out what it would be.

"So-called" is a "meta-comment" adjective that says the writer or speaker is using a term as others might but does not agree with the term personally.


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## Cagey

There are couple of threads on so to speak.  Among several thread on as it were, here is one with a very useful discussion of both phrases.

NOTE: These threads can be found by typing the phrase in the Dictionary Look-up search box at the top of the page.


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## piraña utria

Good evening friends:
 
I’ve read all the previous threads about this topic, though I have a quite precise question: has this expression a fixed form or it could be possible to turn it into “so to speaking”?.
 
I’ve googled it and there’re a few examples of the last one.
 
Regards,


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## Kevin Beach

Yes, there are examples of "so to speaking" on Google. Some of them are different constructions and don't relate to this one.

I have to say that I cannot see how "so to speaking" can be correct as a variant or development of "so to speak". The use of the infinitive is a recognised construction in that sort of context. "To speak" has a meaning. "To speaking" hasn't.


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## piraña utria

Kevin Beach said:


> Yes, there are examples of "so to speaking" on Google. Some of them are different constructions and don't relate to this one.
> 
> I have to say that I cannot see how "so to speaking" can be correct as a variant or development of "so to speak". The use of the infinitive is a recognised construction in that sort of context. "To speak" has a meaning. "To speaking" hasn't.


 
 
Good Kevin. It’s a convincing commentary.  The others are just mistakes or bad constructions, I guess.
 
Thanks a lot,


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## xopher.tm

piraña utria said:


> so to speaking



That would not be said by a native speaker.


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## Raftery

Tresley said:


> Hello hly2004,
> 
> "To pull down the barriers" can be expressed in a more academic way. "To pull down" is not slang, but it is something that is usually used in spoken English. The writer of this sentence was probably thinking that "to remove" would be a better way of expressing "to pull down", so he added "so to speak" to make sure that the reader understood that he would not nornally use the phrase "to pull down".



I disagree: "so to speak" isn't used in this context because "to pull down" is usually limited to spoken English - in fact, I think that's an entirely incorrect assertion. "The Berlin Wall was pulled down" is a perfect sentence in either written or spoken English.

"So to speak" is used here because there's a potentially cryptic metaphor in use. It's there to flag the fact that the barriers being pulled down aren't barriers in the physical sense. 

Most of the time, I'd say it's a bad habit to use the phrase in English, and non-native speakers can happily avoid it. The one context in which I regularly use it is when I've made a pun or a double-entendre, and wish to draw attention to it. 

I'll also lend support to what has already been said by others: "so to speaking" is definitely wrong, and "so to speak" will always refer to what came directly before it.

In conclusion I suppose that, when you see "so to speak", you should look out for either colloquialism or shades of meaning.


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## Ashraful Haque

I don't know if I've used 'so to speak' correctly in the following sentence:
"In the western culture not saying things like thank you, sorry, please is considered rude. It's like not returning the favor so to speak."

Note that in the Indian subcontinent we don't use those words often. We only use them in formal situations.


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## Rover_KE

prankstare said:


> I'm not sure how this expression can be used though -- can you guys provide some examples, please?


Click here to read 1,480 examples, and bookmark the Fraze.It site for future reference.


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## Ashraful Haque

Rover_KE said:


> Click here to read 1,480 examples, and bookmark the Fraze.It site for future reference.


Thank you for the link. But I just wanted to know if I constructed the sentence correctly or if my sentence makes sense.


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## london calling

Ashraful Haque said:


> I don't know if I've used 'so to speak' correctly in the following sentence:
> "In the western culture not saying things like thank you, sorry, please is considered rude. It's like not returning the favor so to speak."
> 
> Note that in the Indian subcontinent we don't use those words often. We only use them in formal situations.


I don't understand what you mean when you say _It's like not returning the favor*,* so to speak._ I can't see the connection with the previous sentence.


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## velisarius

I read it as "in a manner of speaking", or "if you see what I mean".

We may use it when we are trying to explain something, perhaps not perfectly.

The example in post #25 sounds fine to me.


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## Myridon

I think "It's like..." already tells us that it's not exactly that so I don't see the point of adding "so to speak."
I also agree with london calling in that "saying thank you" is so unlike "not returning a favor" that you might as well say "It's like a banana."


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## london calling

What do you think 'return a favour' means, AR? I'm under the impression you misunderstand the meaning. It bears no relation to the previous sentence.


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## Ashraful Haque

london calling said:


> What do you think 'return a favour' means, AR? I'm under the impression you misunderstand the meaning. It bears no relation to the previous sentence.


"In the western culture not saying thank you is considered rude. It's like not returning the favor so to speak." 
Let me try to explain myself. In the West it's rude for a person not to say thank you after someone has helped them.  So if you say thank you the person would almost appreciate this gesture like you've helped them back. 
I could've used 'not appreciating' instead of 'not returning the favor.' But then I wouldn't be able to use 'so to speak.'


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## london calling

I see what you are trying to do, but as  ' not return the favour' doesn't mean what you want it to mean and adding 'so to speak 'doesn't change that, I'm afraid it doesn't work.


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## Ashraful Haque

london calling said:


> I see what you are trying to do, but as  ' not return the favour' doesn't mean what you want it to mean and adding 'so to speak 'doesn't change that, I'm afraid it doesn't work.


What does 'no returning the favor' mean exactly?


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## london calling

If someone does you a favour you may well want to return it (do them a favour in return). When you're polite to someone  you're not doing them a favour (and if you're rude you're not not doing them a favour either) , so how do you return /not return the favour? That's why what you say makes no sense.


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## Forero

Also, helping is not the same as doing a favor. We may be struggling with a difference in culture about what does or doesn't create a debt or what serves to "pay" for a given debt.


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## Ashraful Haque

london calling said:


> If someone does you a favour you may well want to return it (do them a favour in return). When you're polite to someone  you're not doing them a favour (and if you're rude you're not not doing them a favour either) , so how do you return /not return the favour? That's why what you say makes no sense.


To me a favor may be when your colleague doesn't tell your boss that you left 30 minutes earlier and you feel like you owe him. And later you might fill in for him to return the favor.


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## velisarius

I think "so to speak" may be used as Ashraful used it, to acknowledge that "returning a favour" may not be exactly the right expression, but it's how it seems to him (or her).

"So to speak" can signal "don't take this literally, I'm not completely serious" or "I know this may not be the best way of expressing myself, but it's the best I can do".


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## london calling

Ashraful Haque said:


> To me a favor may be when your colleague doesn't tell your boss that you left 30 minutes earlier and you feel like you owe him. And later you might fill in for him to return the favor.


Yes, exactly right. But you don't do someone a favour by being polite to them.


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## Ashraful Haque

velisarius said:


> I think "so to speak" may be used as Ashraful used it, to acknowledge that "returning a favour" may not be exactly the right expression, but it's how it seems to him (or her).
> 
> "So to speak" can signal "don't take this literally, I'm not completely serious" or "I know this may not be the best way of expressing myself, but it's the best I can do".



Here's another one I just made up:
- "Baseball is the American version of cricket so to speak."
- "You have to be over 6 feet and black to even qualify for basketball so to speak."


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## velisarius

Ashraful Haque said:


> "Baseball is the American version of cricket so to speak."


This one is okay, but will surely annoy fans of both cricket and baseball.


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## The pianist

"So to speak" is used after a simile.

"As your attorney, I cannot reveal any of your past information.  Consider me to be a ship at sea that can never return to port ---so to speak.  Now, will you sign the authorization?"


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## london calling

velisarius said:


> This one is okay, but will surely annoy fans of both cricket and baseball.


Apart from the fact that baseball is the US version of rounders, so to speak. 🤣


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## Ashraful Haque

velisarius said:


> This one is okay, but will surely annoy fans of both cricket and baseball.


Thank you. What do you think about the other one?


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## Ashraful Haque

The pianist said:


> "So to speak" is used after a simile.
> 
> "As your attorney, I cannot reveal any of your past information.  Consider me to be a ship at sea that can never return to port ---so to speak.  Now, will you sign the authorization?"


I see. Please let me know if my sentence is correct:
- "Be on your best behavior at the party. The host is (like) the Bill Gates of our town so to speak."- I don't think 'like' should be used here since I'm already saying 'so to speak.' Please correct me If I'm mistaken.


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