so-and-so

American  

[soh-uhn-soh] / ˈsoʊ ənˌsoʊ /

noun

so-and-sos plural

1. someone or something not definitely named.

   to gossip about so-and-so.

2. a bastard; son of a bitch (used as a euphemism).

   Tell the old so-and-so to mind his own business.

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so-and-so British  

noun

1. a person whose name is forgotten or ignored

   so-and-so came to see me

2. euphemistic a person or thing regarded as unpleasant or difficult

   which so-and-so broke my razor?

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• so-and-sos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of so-and-so

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

“When I see the shoes that so-and-so wore or the dress that so-and-so wore, they seem to me like butterflies that once flew and now they’re dead,” Iñárritu says.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

“Someone’s like, ‘Let’s ask a neutral third party what so-and-so should do about the guy they’re talking to.’”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

You knew, when you walked into a courtroom and said “I am so-and-so, representing the government or representing the United States of America,” that what you said carried credibility.

From Slate • Nov. 24, 2025

Asked whether Barry would approve of his role, he replies: "He loves it, I know he does. He's always said I was a nasty so-and-so."

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2025

I’ve personally witnessed several family rifts because so-and-so didn’t invite so-and-so to their wedding even though they had the nerve to invite a family friend.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

• blockhead
• dolt
• dunce
• fool
• idiot
• imbecile