Guide 170 / 200 4 alternatives 2-minute read
Better ways to say “so to speak”
A hedge that marks a metaphor you're half-committed to.
i · Why avoid itTwo lines, no filler
Signals "I'm being figurative." Useful sparingly; overused, it becomes a verbal apology for every image the writer chooses. Either commit to the metaphor or pick a plainer word.
ii · Before & afterDrop-in demo
Before
We broke the logjam, so to speak.
After
We broke the logjam.
iii · The alternatives4 ways out
- 01In a sense neutral
qualified comparison
In a sense, we broke the logjam.
- 02Figuratively formal
explicit framing
Figuratively, the project stalled.
- 03[delete it] neutral
if the metaphor is clear
We broke the logjam.
- 04As it were formal
literary alternative
We broke the logjam, as it were.
iv · Brew tipKeep this one
A good metaphor doesn't need an apology.