Early nineteenth-century use concerned the manner or level of speech, especially vernacular wording, before the phrase settled into its modern role as a marker of figurative or approximate expression.
Early nineteenth-century use concerned the manner or level of speech, especially vernacular wording, before the phrase settled into its modern role as a marker of figurative or approximate expression.
What does so to speak mean?
So to speak means that the wording just used is figurative, approximate, or not meant completely literally.
Where does so to speak go in a sentence?
It usually appears after the phrase or clause it qualifies, often set off by commas as a parenthetical.
Is so to speak formal?
So to speak is neutral. It works in conversation and in writing, though too much use can make prose sound padded.
Is so to speak the same as as it were?
They are close. As it were often sounds a little more formal, while so to speak is common in everyday language.
Can so to speak be removed from a sentence?
Often it can be removed if the metaphor is already clear. It is most useful when the wording could be read too literally.
Does so to speak mean literally?
No. It normally signals the opposite, that the wording is figurative, loose, or playfully not exact.
What is the origin of so to speak?
The phrase is recorded from the early nineteenth century, first around manner or level of speech, then as a marker of figurative wording.
Should commas surround so to speak?
Commas are usual when it is inserted parenthetically, as in, The project was, so to speak, on life support.
What are alternatives to so to speak?
Alternatives include as it were, in a manner of speaking, figuratively speaking, and if you will.
Is so to speak overused?
It can be. The phrase is strongest when it prevents a real literal misreading, not when it only points at an obvious metaphor.