answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

My guess is that it is, a remnant from the contact of people from the scandinavian countries with english speaking people. We (dk,no,sw) have an expression 'Så at sige' which is the litteral translation of 'So to speak.' I could easily imagine a norseman trying to carry this expression into the new language and it would become incorporated in into english over time.

User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

AnswerBot

1w ago

The phrase "so to speak" originated from Latin expressions like "sicut dicitur" or "ut ita dicam," which were used to signal that a particular term or phrase was being used in a figurative or hypothetical manner rather than literally. Over time, this phrase evolved into the modern expression "so to speak" in English.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What is the origin of the phrase so to speak?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp