get a word in edgewise

Idioms  

1. Also, get a word in edgeways. Insert oneself into a conversation or express one's opinion despite competition from other speakers. For example, So many people had questions for the lecturer that it was hard to get a word in edgewise, or Nancy loves to talk, and I couldn't get a word in edgeways. This idiom, often put in the negative, transfers an object with its edge foremost to inserting conversation. [Late 1700s]

---

Example Sentences

It was never easy to get a word in edgewise, and there was nothing “safe” about that space—say anything half-stupid and everyone would pile on for the next 25 years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

They would have long and winding arguments, he said, where he felt he couldn’t explain himself or get a word in edgewise; he said it sent him into “a tailspin of confusion and depression.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2022

A conversation that — for this year at least — has largely gone on with the ACC failing to get a word in edgewise.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2021

The greater challenge will be if you win, trying to get a word in edgewise during your meal.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2020

Nobody could get a word in edgewise when James Otis talked.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes