Word.ws English Dictionary

I said what I said

I said what I said phrase: used to reassert one's opinion or statement in an unapologetic manner, even if it is subject to controversy or disagreement.

Phrase

I said what I said

  1. (humorous, informal, often) Used to reassert one's opinion or statement in an unapologetic manner, even if it is subject to controversy or disagreement.
    • While performing her song “High Horse,” Musgraves put a new spin on the pre-chorus, singing: “Everyone knows someone who kills the buzz, every time they open up their mouth — Ted Cruz! I said what I said.”2022 October 10, Ethan Shanfeld, “Kacey Musgraves Calls Out Ted Cruz With ‘High Horse’ Lyric at Austin City Limits: ‘I Said What I Said’”, in Variety

Origin of I said what I said

Attested since at least the 1970s.

Questions about I said what I said

What does I said what I said mean?
I said what I said means used to reassert one's opinion or statement in an unapologetic manner, even if it is subject to controversy or disagreement.
What part of speech is I said what I said?
I said what I said is a phrase.

Words near I said what I said in the dictionary

  1. I only date tall guys
  2. I only work here
  3. I put it to you
  4. I resemble that remark
  5. I rest my case
  6. I said what I said
  7. I say
  8. I see
  9. I see London, I see France
  10. I see what you did there
  11. I see you

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: I said what I said (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-I said what I said.wav.

Cite this entry: “I said what I said.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/i_said_what_i_said. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.