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What does"so to speak" mean in English? I couldn't understand even I have consulted the dictionary
I have heard several times that people said "so to speak". But how to use this phrase correctly? Could you give me some right example and false example?
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It's used in a few different situations. There are some good examples here:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/so+to+speak
The first example is "He is my accountant, so to speak". It means that he is not really his accountant. For example if I handle the family finances my wife might say "My husband is my accountant, so to speak".
The second example is where something is said in an unusual way, and you want to point it out. "I'm going to water the horses, so to speak" - that means I am going to the toilet :)
"He is everyone's father, so to speak" - he acts like a father to everyone, but is not really their father.
"I am going to lunch, so to speak" - this is correct only if you are not really going to lunch. Maybe you are just eating a snack and not a real lunch, so you add "so to speak" on the end.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/so+to+speak
The first example is "He is my accountant, so to speak". It means that he is not really his accountant. For example if I handle the family finances my wife might say "My husband is my accountant, so to speak".
The second example is where something is said in an unusual way, and you want to point it out. "I'm going to water the horses, so to speak" - that means I am going to the toilet :)
"He is everyone's father, so to speak" - he acts like a father to everyone, but is not really their father.
"I am going to lunch, so to speak" - this is correct only if you are not really going to lunch. Maybe you are just eating a snack and not a real lunch, so you add "so to speak" on the end.
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