so-and-so

1 of 2

noun

plural so-and-sos or so-and-so's ˈsō-ən-ˌsōz How to pronounce so-and-so (audio)
1
: an unnamed or unspecified person, thing, or action
2

so-and-so

2 of 2

adverb

1
: to an unspecified amount or degree
2
: in an unspecified manner or fashion

Examples of so-and-so in a Sentence

Noun I'm never talking to that nasty so-and-so again after what he said to me last time!
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Your style of action, or the way it’s shot, has been mimicked time and time again, and instead of Die Hard on a [insert location], so-and-so’s John Wick has become the latest action movie formula. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Oct. 2024 That structure—the book of so-and-so, the Book of Ruth—is very appealing. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2024 Each face-off starts off genial, so Christian tries to stir up some drama about why so-and-so picked such-and-such for war. Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 28 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'so-and-so.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of so-and-so was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near so-and-so

Cite this Entry

“So-and-so.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/so-and-so. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

so-and-so

noun
ˈsō-ən-ˌsō
plural so-and-sos or so-and-so's
-ən-ˌsōz
: an unnamed or unspecified person or thing

More from Merriam-Webster on so-and-so

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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