rumour had it
Word was that
Rumour had it is a fixed expression introducing unverified information that was circulating among people: Rumour had it she was leaving the company.
The phrase frames what follows as hearsay rather than established fact, often about matters of gossip or speculation.
Usually appears in past tense, describing what people were saying at a particular time.
Also spelled rumor had it.
- they sayVague source attribution
- hearsayUnverified secondhand information
- word on the streetPrevailing public rumor
- whisperSpeech without full voice
- whisper campaignOrganized spreading of damaging rumors
gossip · idle talk · assumption · scuttlebutt · grapevine · buzz · supposition · conjecture · word-of-mouth · sources say · innuendo · murmur · chatter · loose lips · suspicion · tattle · impression · guesswork
rumour had itas a matter of fact
Phrase introducing factual correction
officially · in reality · in truth · on the record · demonstrably
rumour, rumor, rumours, rumors, rumoured, rumored, rumoring, having