A "locution" (loh-KYOO-shun) is a form of expression – a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations. The word is derived from the Latin for "to speak."
Example (as used by Emma Brockes in a New York Times review of Julie Andrews’ memoir Home): "[Her] memoir is full of crisp locutions like ‘poor unfortunate’ and ‘banished to the scullery.’"
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