student asking question

What's "here's the thing"? What kind of expression is this?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question. “Here’s the thing” is an idiomatic expression. As an idiom it is a set phrase which means this is what I want to say. "The thing" = The point I want to make. It’s especially handy in situations when you’re unsure of how to ask for a favor or say something that the other person might not like or want to hear. Also, you can use this when you’re opposing the other person’s opinion, which is how it's being used in this clip. Ex: Mom, here's the thing. I'm not a little kid anymore. Ex: Here's the thing, I need you help moving the wardrobe.

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