turn of phrase

English

Etymology

Compare trope, with same sense of “turn” to mean indirect language.

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Noun

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.
- 1922, Dorothy Canfield, “Chapter 43”, in Rough-Hewn:
  "I should call it a most nice sort of surprise," remarked the girl with a quaintly un-English turn of phrase which he had already noticed and thought the most delightful thing in the world.

Synonyms

figure of speech

Related terms

turn a phrase

Translations

expression which is worded in a distinctive way

Catalan: gir (ca) m
Finnish: sanakäänne, lausekäänne, lauseparsi
French: tournure de phrase f, tour de phrase (fr) m
German: Redewendung (de) f
Hungarian: szófordulat (hu), fordulat (hu), szóhasználat (hu), beszédfordulat (hu), kifejezésmód (hu), kifejezés (hu), szólásmód (hu), szólás (hu)
Italian: giro di parole m, modo di dire (it) m, proprietà di linguaggio f, modo di esprimersi m
Polish: zwrot (pl) m
Russian: оборо́т ре́чи (ru) (oborót réči)

Further reading

“turn of phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

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