Speak for yourself

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Grammarist

Speak for yourself is an idiom that has been in use for several hundred years. We will examine the meaning of the idiom speak for yourself, where it came from, and some examples of its use in sentences.

The idiom speak for yourself is an idiom that is often used as a retort to someone else’s statement and means that you are not in agreement. For instance, your neighbor may say that he thinks dogs smell bad. You believe dogs smell good, so you say, “Speak for yourself.” Speak for yourself means that the person you are speaking to may have his own opinion, but you have a diverging opinion. Speak for yourself is also used to encourage someone to state his opinion. The idiom speak for yourself has been in use since at least the 1700s to mean that the speaker has a diverging opinion. The idiom has been in use since the 1800s as an encouragement to speak up.

Examples

I confessed that sometimes I did harbor some prejudices and that I thought most people did. “Speak for yourself!” He said. (The Muni Diaries)

“Speak for yourself, Taylor. I like movies about people, by people,” retorted Poehler. (USA Today)

One of the hardest is telling your loved ones what your wishes are when it comes to future medical care, should you be unable to speak for yourself. (The Grand River Sachem)

“This is your opportunity to maintain control over your health care, to ensure that you get what you want if you can’t speak for yourself,” said Weddle, a passionate advocate of advance directives. (The Union Leader)