What does the phrase 'so to speak' mean?

Answer 1

For me it is another way of saying "sort of like that." I think it comes up in speech when the speaker realizes he or she has said pretty much all they can on the subject, and want to add a touch more, and they add "so to speak."

It probably means different things to different people depending on where they are from.

Answer 2

Almost the same as ' by the way '.