to turn a phrase
2
6.8
- idiom
- Informal
:
darle la vuelta a una frase
- It is rare to find someone who can turn a phrase as skillfully as that seasoned writer.
- to really turn a phrase
Examples
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Green has the ability to turn a phrase in such a way that realism exudes, and one easily forgets that the book is fiction.
Blog text (22) -
With his witty style, he knows how to turn a phrase that leaves everyone laughing.
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- You always could turn a phrase.
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You certainly can turn a phrase, my lord.
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TC's greatest asset is his ability to turn a phrase.
Blog text (23) -
I've always prized myself on my ability to turn a phrase.
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Her ability to turn a phrase always impresses the audience during her speeches.
Antonyms
How Skillful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal components 'turn' (manipulate/change) and 'phrase' (group of words) give a clue that it involves handling words, so learners might guess it relates to rewording or shaping an expression. However, the specific evaluative sense—expressing something skillfully or eloquently—is an idiomatic extension not fully predictable from the parts, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Turn a phrase may come from the image of a woodworker who turns wood to shape it, and a speaker 'turns' a phrase when they shape words with care. That's why it means 'to express something in a clever or skilled way'.