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

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
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 29 Mar. 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

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