Also: Get a word in edgeways
Meaning of Idiom ‘Get a Word in Edgewise’
To get a word in edgewise means to find an opportunity to contribute to conversation despite another person or group of people speaking continually without pause. 1Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms]. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.,2Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.,3Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth M. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Idioms. Ware: Wordsworth, 1995.
See related talk idioms:
- Small Talk
- Talk The Hind Legs Off A Donkey
- Talk the Bark Off a Tree
- Talk Someone’s Ear Off
- Talk Nineteen to the Dozen
Usage
This idiom is usually used in a negative way to express difficulty in being able to make oneself heard in a conversation because another person talks incessantly.
Examples Of Use
“Sherry sure likes to talk. I can never get a word in edgewise.”
“The uproar over the governor’s controversial decision caused a no holds barred shouting match at today’s press conference. The governor could not get a word in edgewise.”
“I like my neighbor but he’ll talk your ear off. It’s impossible to get a word in edgewise.”
Origin
Used since at least the early 1700s.
This idiom alludes figuratively to turning an object on its edge to facilitate inserting it into a small space. 4Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms]. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
More Idioms Starting with G
- Go Out On a Limb
- Green With Envy
- Give Someone a Break
- Give Me a Break
- Give Your Right Arm (for something)
More Get Idioms
More Word Idioms
- A Word To The Wise
- Last Word, the
- From the Word Go
- Breathe a Word (to not)
- Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Sources
| 1, 4. | ↲ | Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms]. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. |
| 2. | ↲ | Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010. |
| 3. | ↲ | Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth M. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Idioms. Ware: Wordsworth, 1995. |