Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[missdaredevil]

My door is always open, so to speak.

so to speak= used to indicate that you are expressing something in an unusual way, e.g. that you are being euphemistic

In the context, the speark was not joking or anything. Why was he being *euphemistic* regarding the use of "so to speak"? Or is that more like "just so you know"?

Thanks

[CP]

It doesn't have to include euphemism, but can just be used to signal that the speaker is using simile or metaphor or a poetic turn of phrase rather than speaking literally.

This speaker doesn't mean that he never shuts his door, but rather than he will make himself available whenever needed.

Sometimes people use "as it were" instead of "so to speak" for similar purposes. "My door is always open, as it were" would do just as well here.
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