That's a way to put it

[Ali1002]

Hello. I don't understand the meaning of this sentence. Would you mind explaining it to me? 'That's a way to put it'

 

[emsr2d2]

That's unfamiliar to me. I am, however, familiar with "That's one way to put it!" with the stress on the word "one". It's usually used to refer to something that is perhaps an understatement.

Jane: Tom Cruise is quite good-looking, isn't he?
Helen: That's one way to put it!
(The suggestion here is that Helen thinks he's more than just "good-looking". She probably thinks he's absolutely gorgeous.)

Jane: I think war is quite bad.
Helen: That's one way to put it!
(The suggestion is that Helen thinks war is more than just "quite bad". She probably thinks it's really terrible.)

 

[emsr2d2]

I use both but the Ngram result is interesting.

 

[Ali1002]

I use both but the Ngram result is interesting.

Can we say that It means that you are not being told the entire truth?

 

[Ali1002]

My feeling is that 'one way of putting it' is more common. This Ngram seems to support this feeling.

Unfortunately, I can't open it. I tried several times but, it doesn't work!

 

[Ali1002]

No, it doesn't mean that. It means that there are different ways to essentially say the same thing. This does not contradict 'emsr2d2's description of possible nuanced meanings.

So, it means that there are multiple ideas. Someone thinks of something one way and another one thinks of something another way, right?

 

[GoesStation]

It means that different ways to explain the thing exist.

 

[Tdol]

That's the way also works.

 

[Ali1002]

That's the way also works.

What do you mean? You're saying that 'That's the way to put it' is the same as 'That's one way to put it'. Right?

 

[bubbha]

Using "That's one way to put it" often implies, in a slightly sarcastic way, that the previous statement was unexpected or that it was not the way most people would say it.

 

[Ali1002]

Using "That's one way to put it" often implies, in a slightly sarcastic way, that the previous statement was unexpected or that it was not the way most people would say it.

Thank you, I got it but, my question was about Tdol thread which said "that's the way also works". I'd like to know if they're the same. I looked up the meaning of "that's the way" and found that it doesn't have relationship with "that's one way".