so to speak

Idioms  

1. Phrased like this, in a manner of speaking, as in He was, so to speak, the head of the family, although he was only related by marriage to most of the family members. This term originally meant “in the vernacular” or “lower-class language” and was used as an aristocrat's apology for stooping to such use. [Early 1800s] Also see as it were.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

so to speak

The rich are driving the economic bus, so to speak, and the rest of the country is just trying squeeze into the cheap seats.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

“But Ramón always finds a way to ‘put the vitamins in the ice cream,’ so to speak.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

Some are already beating the drum, so to speak.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

Moreover, the local Department of Motor Vehicles is the logical body to collect these new user fees, since all vehicle owners are already DMV customers so to speak.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

There’s a new chap at the club named Quinzy who’s itching to meet them, and the fellow’s a judge so it’s plain common sense to throw him a bone, so to speak.

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood