by the way

This page is about the conversational phrase by the way

Meaning

You can say this if you want to mention, or ask about, an unrelated topic, or if you want to change the topic.

For example

  • We were discussing politics when Ahmad looked up from his phone and said, "By the way, does anyone have Alya's number?"

  • I was sick of talking about work, so I said, "By the way, did anyone watch the game last night?"

Quick Quiz

If you're in the middle of a conversation, you can say "by the way" if you

a. disagree with someone

b. can't understand something

c. want to ask an unrelated question
a) disagree with someone b) can't understand something c) want to ask an unrelated question

Contributor: Matt Errey