Definition

1. Adverb:
   • In a manner of speaking; so to speak; as one might express it: Used to introduce a common or colloquial phrase, idiom, or figurative expression that summarizes or illustrates a point. It signals that the following words are a familiar saying or a typical way of putting something, often softening a statement or making it more relatable.

Usage

• Function: This adverbial phrase is used parenthetically to frame a piece of common wisdom, a cliché, or an informal turn of phrase. It prepares the listener or reader for a non-literal, often idiomatic expression.
• Position: It typically appears in the middle or at the end of a clause, set off by commas.
• Tone: It creates an informal, conversational, and sometimes slightly self-aware or hedging tone, acknowledging that the speaker is using a well-known expression.

Examples

• The plan was, as we say, dead in the water from the start.
• He's bitten off more than he can chew, as we say.
• It's a blessing in disguise, as we say.
• The feeling is, as we say, quite dead.

Advanced Usage

• Stylistic Device: Used in writing and speech to build rapport with the audience by invoking shared linguistic knowledge. It can also subtly distance the speaker from the cliché they are about to use.
• Hedging: Can function as a hedge, softening the force of a potentially blunt or critical statement by attributing it to common parlance.
  • Your argument, as we say, misses the mark.

Variants and Related Words

• So to speak: A very close synonym, used identically to introduce a figurative expression.
  • He's the king of his little domain, so to speak.
• In a manner of speaking: A slightly more formal variant with the same function.
• As the saying goes: Used specifically to introduce a proverb or well-known adage.
  • As the saying goes, all's well that ends well.

Synonyms

• So to speak
• In a way
• In a manner of speaking
• As it were (more formal/literary)

Related Phrases

• If you will: A similar phrase used to invite the listener to accept a particular description or metaphor.
  • He is the architect of his own downfall, if you will.
• To use a phrase: A more explicit variant.
  • It was, to use a phrase, a perfect storm.

Notes

• This phrase is inherently idiomatic and meta-linguistic; it comments on the language being used within the same sentence.
• It is almost always used in a spoken or conversational register, though it can appear in informal writing.

Adverb

1. in a manner of speaking
   • the feeling is, as we say, quite dead