turn of phrase
Speech parts
1. turn of phrase - Noun
2. turn of phrase - Phrase
Meaning
turn of phrase (plural turns of phrase)
(idiomatic) An expression which is worded in a distinctive way, especially one which is particularly memorable or artful.
Synonyms
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Related terms
Examples
If I hear an interesting turn of phrase on TV, I'll repeat it back - I just like to roll it around on my tongue. The same goes for dialog: I'll either speak it aloud or whisper it. I definitely sit in front of my computer and mutter. People have mentioned it.
Dying onstage as a comic is just a turn of phrase - in reality you have a good gig or a bad one and while everyone tries to learn from bad gigs, experienced comics know better than to let a rowdy inattentive audience get to them.
Graham’s voice is powerful and immediate, and I love the details in his work and his turn of phrase that rings so familiar to me as both a Texan and an Indigenous woman.
‘But one of his political tricks is to lull people into seeing him as a bit of a grey plodder, when suddenly he'll surprise with a devastating turn of phrase, a damaging soundbite and barbed humour.’
I don't pay much attention to the lyrics, except for Grateful Dead songs, which I stop and listen to, just for the turn of phrase.
In one turn of phrase, writer Hank Steuver wrote that "the love that dared not speak its name now yawns and checks its watch,".