I don't mean to...

Phrase of the day

Discover a new phrase each day to use in your English! These are special phrases and sayings that English speakers use all the time, but you don't often see these phrases in English course books or other study material. Visit daily to learn some popular English phrases on a regular basis.

13 July 2026

We use this expression before we say something that might sound bad. For example if we say 'I don't mean to criticise' we are probably going to say something negative but we don't want the other person to be offended.