say the quiet part loud
To willingly express a sentiment that is normally considered embarrassing or disreputable to hold; to reveal an ulterior motive.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He said the quiet part loud during the meeting.”
“You say the quiet part loud when you admit you only want the prize money.”
“The politician accidentally said the quiet part loud when he admitted he only cared about the campaign donations.”
“The landlord said the quiet part loud when he told the tenants he would never fix the heater because he wanted them to move out.”
“The director said the quiet part loud by explaining that the new diversity policy was actually just a way to avoid getting sued.”
“By suggesting that the company should prioritize profits over employee safety, the manager said the quiet part loud, shocking everyone in the boardroom.”
Corpus searches seem to confirm that this phrase was absent from widespread usage until after the mid-1990s, when the cartoon character Krusty the Clown used a similar phrase in the episode "A Star Is Burns" of the American animated TV series The Simpsons, saying, "I said the quiet part loud and the loud part quiet."
- 01
do exactly what it says on the tin
To do what is described or what one would expect, with no further explanation needed.
- 02
easier said than done
Easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish.
- 03
final say
The right to make a final decision.
- 04
for crying out loud
Used to express frustration, exasperation, or annoyance.
- 05
for fucking out loud
Synonym of for crying out loud.
- 06
for the most part
In most aspects; mostly; generally.
- 07
have a quiet word
To speak to someone in private.
- 08
have a say
To (receive the opportunity to) voice one's opinion.
Last updated August 10, 2026