so to speak

Từ điển tiếng Anh - Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary

so to speak idiom
used to explain that what you are saying is not to be understood exactly as stated
• In that relationship it's very much Lorna who wears the trousers, so to speak (= Lorna makes all the important decisions).
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Figurative use of language
Main entry: speak_idiom