Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
turn a phrase en · VERB
Pronunciation
Meanings
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(idiomatic) To create a particular linguistic expression which is strikingly clear, appropriate, and memorable.
"Ah, how gracefully these wild northern men can turn a phrase!" whispered Chrysophrasia.
1887, Francis Marion Crawford, chapter 8, in Paul Patoff:Nobody, however, can take issue with Purdy's ability to turn a phrase. He has that rare Joycean knack for illuminating an entire universe with one simple detail.
2004, Elisabeth Egan, "A world of talking cats and lost, lonely boys" (review of Moe's Villa and Other Stories by James Purdy), San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Dec. (retrieved 4 June 2008)Gerard coloured all over at the compliment; but not knowing how to turn a phrase equal to the occasion, asked her if he should resume her picture.
1861, Charles Reade, chapter 61, in The Cloister and the Hearth:Everyone who was anyone at Long Barton spoke in careful and correct English, but no one ever troubled to turn a phrase.
1906, Edith Nesbit, chapter 3, in The Incomplete Amorist:
Forms
Relateds
turn of phrase