English

something like that

An intentionally vague thing, used in answers to leading questions which the speaker wishes to deflect or evade.

    Etymology graph

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    Origin

    From something + like + that.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • partEnglishsomething “An uncertain or unspecified thing; one thing.”
      • inheritedMiddle Englishsomþyng
        • derivedOld Englishsum “some, a certain one”
    • partEnglishlike “To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.”
      • inheritedMiddle Englishliken “to like”
        • inheritedOld Englishlīcian “to like, to please”
        • inheritedMiddle Englishlike “pleasure, will, like”
      • inheritedMiddle Englishlik
        • inheritedOld Englishġelīċ “like, similar”
    • partEnglishthat “Introducing a clause that is the object of a verb, especially a reporting verb or verb expressing b…”
      • inheritedMiddle Englishthat
        • inheritedOld Englishþæt

    Sources