coin a phrase

coin a phrase

To create a new expression. Don't try to coin a phrase, just write a straightforward headline.See also: coin, phrase

coin a phrase

Fig. to create a new expression that is worthy of being remembered and repeated. (Often jocular.) He is "worth his weight in feathers," to coin a phrase.See also: coin, phrase

coin a phrase, to

To fashion an expression. This term, dating from the 1940s, is often used ironically to apologize for using a cliché, as in “He acts like the cock of the walk, to coin a phrase.” Of course it can also be used straightforwardly and refer to inventing an expression, a usage dating from the late 1500s.See also: coin