words to that effect

words to that effect

An intentionally vague phrase used to omit the exact wording of some statement while indicating its general meaning, or the meaning one wants it to convey. A: "Did she flat-out say she was coming to dinner?" B: "Well, words to that effect."
See also: effect, that, word
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • IYSWIM
  • take on a new significance
  • et seq.
  • IYKWIM
  • et seqq.
  • blanket term
  • BMOC
  • et ux.
  • et con.
  • cherchez la femme
References in periodicals archive
Kostova then pulled the man out of the toilet by the collar of his pyjama top while his trousers were around his ankles and his genitals were exposed, shouting "I hate you" and "you are no longer a human being but an animal," or words to that effect a tribunal heard.
The Chairman of Kashmir Committee said the state terrorism in the Indian Occupied Kashmir continued unabated and the world powers either remained silent or just said a few words to that effect. He said that the world community should be more active in the matter of human rights and the United Nations as well as the UN Council for Human Rights and international organizations for human rights, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch etc.
"Madonna eat your heart out - or words to that effect. I'm wearing something simple, do you like it?" he added.
"Nonsense!" or words to that effect, said the student paper.
He heard the CFI say the landing gear was not retracting or words to that effect, and also reported that the pitch of the airplane remained the same.
Recently, for example, we received a package with the carrier promising "The ONE ACTION you can take to dramatically reduce the risk of heart attack" (or words to that effect).
But more CIOs are saying that's too darned bad--or words to that effect.
During that mercifully brief time when I was crawling along in Manhattan traffic, the Cayenne passed the Rolldown Test with flying colors--about once per block, someone would roll down his side window and call out in admiration, "Wow, what is that?" or words to that effect. However, the friend I was driving with found the Cayenne underwhelming.
(or words to that effect) When he did manage to get the beastly woman a flight, felt hugely disappointed.
or words to that effect. "No one will ever tell us that again," Broder promised Dingell's panel.
The portraitist Alice Neel is reported to have said that (like van Gogh) she wished to "capture the anxieties of our times," or words to that effect. Pearlstein made no such claims, indeed he denied any psychological or social intention of all; he may have rejected flatness as an absolute but he certainly refused any notion of "depth" in the larger sense of the word.
Or words to that effect. The idea is an adaptation of the antismoking warning required by law to be printed on cigarette packs.
Roger Gill, of Lepton, says: "This last couple of days I have had three calls beginning with the claim: 'I am calling from BT' (or words to that effect).
On the same date it is alleged she left medication unattended that should have been stored in a locked medication trolley and on February 21 she gave the wrong medication to a patient before telling a colleague "don't say anything" or words to that effect. Adam is a registered nurse working with people with learning disabilities.
What was said was that Windsor Oval and Teesdale Terrace have had problems with travellers (or words to that effect) and that we can do without SBC imposing sites on Thornaby - i.e.