the thing is

Idioms  

1. The issue, main point, or problem is, as in The thing is, we haven't enough money for the tickets. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

---

Example Sentences

"The thing is that I kind of don't like to play him, but he must hate to play me as well," said Medvedev, who anticipates "long, brutal rallies" in Sunday's showdown.

From Barron's

He said: "People you hear being arrested for making bad or inappropriate comments on Facebook pages - that's well-known, as it's been on the news. The thing is, I didn't actually do anything wrong."

From BBC

The thing is, Social Security is not acknowledging the first 12 years of my work experience, even though taxes were taken out as well as Social Security deductions.

From MarketWatch

The thing is it provoked a lot of arguments, perhaps more than he had anticipated, including among some Labour MPs.

From BBC

The thing is that many people aren’t actually doing them, Christopher Mims writes in his column this week.

From The Wall Street Journal