By the way vs. As a matter of fact

By the way vs. As a matter of fact By the way vs. As a matter of fact By the way vs. As a matter of fact By Maeve Maddox A reader from Brazil asks for clarification on the expressions â€Å"by the way† and â€Å"as a matter of fact,† having heard that they are interchangeable expressions to be used when a person wants to change the subject of a conversation. by the way As one of its earliest meanings, the expression â€Å"by the way† had the literal meaning of â€Å"along the way† in the sense of something happening in passing on a journey. For example, â€Å"I lost my money by the way.† The use of â€Å"by the way† in conversation is figurative. A person thinks of something else while in the process of talking: We went to the Crystal Theater over the weekend to see Titanic. By the way, while we were there, we bumped into Leroy and his new girlfriend. The expression does introduce a new subject, but not as a deliberate ploy to change the subject. The new subject has been suggested by something already being talked about. as a matter of fact This expression means, â€Å"in fact, really, actually.† Its strongest use is to correct a falsehood or misunderstanding, as in this example: Most people probably believe that the actress Judy Holliday, who acted the part of a dumb blonde in Born Yesterday, was really of low intelligence. As a matter of fact, she had an IQ of 172. In its weakened use, â€Å"as a matter of fact† still means, â€Å"in fact† or â€Å"actually,† but not in the sense of correcting a falsehood. It seems to be used as one might say indeed for emphasis or contrast. Here are some examples from the Web: I asked my sister if she drank diet soda. She told me that she did. As a matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment. At 12 years old, I wasn’t a fat kid. As a matter of fact, I was pretty skinny. The weight isnt going to instantly fly off in the first week. As a matter of fact, I gained weight before I started losing. I am doing so well in my health. As a matter of fact I have dodged several colds that my husband has come down with. Yes, you have to deal with co-workers. As a matter of fact, you have to interact with them daily. It is possible that someone uncomfortable with the turn a conversation has taken might use one of these expressions to introduce an entirely new topic, but that is not their general function. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:How to Pronounce Mobile48 Writing Prompts for Middle School Kids