Have you ever heard someone say that the “grass is greener on the other side?” What about how you “jumped from the frying pan into the fire?”
When it starts raining hard outside, someone might tell you that it began to “pour cats and dogs.”
What do these sayings have in common? They’re all idiomatic expressions.
Idioms create figurative language. You can’t rely on what the literal words mean because they serve as a substitute for a different expression.
Another popular choice is “with that being said.” It’s a trickier idiom, which means it requires specific formatting in text or conversation to be correct.
How to Use the Phrase “With That Being Said” in a Sentence
One of the unique quirks found in the English language involves idiomatic expressions. These words or phrases are used in the same pattern, but they don’t always mean the same thing. “With that being said” is a phrase that uses the same mechanism as “however” to combine two statements or thoughts.
Idioms are phrases, words, or expressions that provide a figurative meaning.
The ideas conveyed in an idiomatic expression are conventionally understood by those who learned English natively. Most other spoken languages contain similar structures.
This meaning differs from the literal meaning of the individual components of what gets said or written.
A common example of an idiom spoken in English is that someone “kicked the bucket.” That expression means that the individual died, but it sounds like they took out some aggression on an innocent container.
Another popular idiom found in the English language involves someone “spilling the beans.” Although that phrase could refer to dumping out a pile of legumes on the floor, it relates to someone telling other people secret information.
Anything can become an idiom, which is what makes English tricky to learn as a second language. It has thousands of different options considered “common,” and many more that require individualized interpretation.
Why Do People Use Idioms When Speaking or Writing?
Although idioms are found in every human language, they make learning English challenging. It’s because there aren’t any cues to suggest whether the literal phrase or the idiomatic expression is in effect.
The one trigger you can sometimes spot involves whether the conversation happens in the past or present tense. Idioms are much more common when speaking about something that occurred previously.
Let’s use the “kick” the bucket idiom for this example.
“I was sad to see that Sally kicked the bucket.”
You can assume with reasonable certainty that it’s a comment that Sally passed away with that sentence. Not only does the statement say that it makes the person said, but it also creates a past tense observation.
“I was sad to see Sally kicking the bucket.”
Although someone could technically use “kicking the bucket” as an idiom for the process of dying, that expression is not common in the English language. Since the structure is in the present tense, it’s more likely that the individual describes the literal action in that example.
The reason why we use these expressions involves communication accuracy. In a language where you have “there,” “their,” and “they’re,” miscommunication can happen frequently. If you use the wrong version, you paint a different picture for the reader or listener.
You can also use the word “bark” as an example. It can be the outer coating of a tree or what a dog says when she wants to play fetch. It requires extra context within the sentence to get the appropriate information.
If you don’t get that info, it’s challenging to have an accurate representation of the communication.
Idioms reflect our complexity as human beings. They let us paint mental pictures of what someone says while listening to different words or phrases. Some of those concepts can be humorous, while others make it easier to cope with difficult ideas.
In that way, English (and other languages) enriches the way we communicate with one another. It’s rich, robust, and creates depth to the human experience.
Some Idioms Are Overused, Creating Issues for Everyone
When you consider the phrase “with that being said,” you have a light idiomatic expression that represents the concept of “however.” It would be easier to use the single word in most circumstances because it would be more accurate.
Additional alternatives include “that’s been said,” “having said that,” and “that being said.”
“That’s been said” is a sentence by itself, which makes it an inappropriate alternative to use. However, some people would still place it in a statement if it felt right to them.
The most common way to express this thought without using “however” while avoiding wordiness is “that said.”
You don’t need to use this expression at all because the English language uses sentences to help people bridge from one thought to another. Conjunctive phrases are another option that provides clarity similarly.
Here’s an example of why it is an extraneous idiom in most circumstances.
“Roses are red. With that being said, they are also blue, yellow, green, and purple.”
You don’t need to include “with that being said” in that phrase even though it is grammatically correct.
The time when it would be appropriate is when you have a hard transition between two different thoughts.
“My favorite pet growing up was a turtle. With that being said, I don’t think they should be allowed as pets anymore.”
Idiomatic expressions are essentially fluff. They make it lots of fun when reading or having a conversation, but it adds time and energy to the overall expression.
You’re not forced to include idioms in any statement. Some people find them fun to use, while others think of this structure as an annoying component of English.
Since language and expression are highly individualized, it is up to you to determine which idioms to use.
The exception to that rule is in a formal business document, as idiomatic expressions are considered informal inclusions.
