not to put too fine a point on it

English

WOTD – 4 March 2019

Etymology

A reference to the fact that the speaker is about to say something blunt rather than fine (that is, delicate or subtle).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /nɒt tʊ ˌpʊt tuː ˌfaɪn ə ˈpɔɪnt ɒn ɪt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /nɑt tə ˌpʊt tu ˌfaɪn ə ˈpɔɪnt ɑn ət/

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Phrase

not to put too fine a point on it

1. (idiomatic) Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.
   • 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, “Mr. Bucket”, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC, page 217:

     My little woman is at present in—not to put too fine a point on it—in a pious state, or in what she considers such, and attends the Evening Exertions (which is the name they go by) of a reverend party of the name of Chadband.

   • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 16: Eumaeus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC, part III [Nostos], page 570:

     En route, to his taciturn, and, not to put too fine a point on it, not yet perfectly sober companion, Mr Bloom, who at all events, was in complete possession of his faculties, never more so, in fact disgustingly sober, spoke a word of caution re the dangers of nighttown, women of ill fame and swell mobsmen, […]

   • 2000, Amy Jenkins, chapter 4, in Honeymoon, London: Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN; republished as Honeymoon (Flame), London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2001, →ISBN, page 39:

     You explain slowly and clearly that you are doing him the honour of not beating about the bush […] Well, you will end up – not to put too fine a point on it (you lower your voice) – having sex. And while you are sure that sex would be very nice, the prognosis for a future between the two of you is not good.

Translations

used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement

• Finnish: anteeksi ilmaisuni
• French: si vous me permettez l’expression, pardonnez-moi l’expression, passez-moi l’expression (fr)
• Hungarian: hogy ne mondjam
• Polish: mówiąc bez ogródek

See also

• in all honesty
• to be honest
• to speak frankly, frankly speaking
• to tell the truth
• pardon my French, excuse my French
• pardon my German

Further reading

• “not to put too fine a point on it”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “not to put too fine a point on it”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “not to put too fine a point on it”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “not to put too fine a point on it” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “not to put too fine a point on it” (US) / “not to put too fine a point on it” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.