slip in
Definition
Verb: - To insert or introduce something, especially a comment, remark, or reference, into a conversation or text in a subtle, casual, or unobtrusive manner.
Usage
This verb is used to describe the act of adding something smoothly and without drawing significant attention. It often implies a degree of cleverness or stealth in the insertion. The structure is typically slip in [object] or slip [object] in.
Examples
- During the meeting, he managed to slip in a suggestion for his preferred vendor.
- She slipped a funny anecdote in to lighten the mood of her presentation.
- The author slips in a clever critique of modern society in the novel's final chapter.
Advanced Usage
- To slip something in edgewise (or a word in edgewise): To manage to say something in a conversation where another person is talking incessantly.
- He talked so much that I couldn't slip a word in edgewise.
Variants and Related Words
- Slip-in (noun): Less common, but can refer to something designed to be inserted easily, like a slip-in cover for a book or phone.
- Insert: A more general synonym without the connotation of subtlety.
- Incorporate: To include something as part of a whole, often more formally.
Synonyms
- Insert
- Introduce
- Interject
- Weave in
- Sneak in
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Slip up: To make a careless mistake.
- I slipped up and called her by the wrong name.
- Slip away: To leave quietly or unnoticed; to pass (as time).
- He slipped away from the party early.
- The afternoon slipped away as we talked.
- Slip out: To be said accidentally.
- The secret slipped out before I could stop myself.
Related Idioms
- Let something slip: To reveal a piece of information accidentally.
- He let it slip that they were planning a surprise party.
- Slip through the net/cracks: To be missed or not noticed.
- A few errors slipped through the cracks in the final review.
Verb
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insert casually
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She slipped in a reference to her own work
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