got a word in edgeways
Managed to speak
Got a word in edgeways means managed to say something during a conversation dominated by others.
The phrase almost always appears in negative constructions: She talked so much I couldn't get a word in edgeways.
The image is of squeezing words through a narrow gap.
British English; Americans typically say edgewise.
- turn-takingAlternating speaker roles
- waiting your turnStaying patient in sequence
- get a word inContribute to ongoing talk
- assertivenessConfident self-expression quality
- speak out of turnTalk when one shouldn't
hold your tongue · bite your tongue · keep mum · shut your mouth · group dynamics · interruption · listening skills · have the floor · steamroll · dialogue · monologue · interject · social norms · verbal expression · etiquette · verbal cues · mutual respect · motor-mouth
got a word in edgewaystalked someone's ear off
Spoke exhaustingly to another
held forth · filibustered · lectured · speechified · pontificated
getting, words, worded, wording, wordless, wordy, edges, edginess