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.

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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 the madness of the Ingalls project, so to speak, is made very clear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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

They were two feet above the floor of the boat—the play Richard Parker had be­fore he would knock his head against the ceiling, so to speak, if he were beneath a bench.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel