“To have the floor” means having the right to speak in a formal meeting or conversation. It originated from formal gatherings but is now used in everyday speech. It is an idiom that allows speakers to be colorful and familiar. It can be used to rebuke interrupters and is often used in formal meetings to maintain decorum.
“Having the floor” means that someone has the right to speak at some sort of formal event or meeting. The phrase is an English idiom that has expanded from the original meaning referring to formal gatherings to the point where it is used in everyday speech. It can be used whenever a group of people are having a conversation and someone needs the attention of the whole group. In fact, “having the floor” is often used as a rebuke to anyone who might interrupt another person’s speech at an inopportune moment.
When someone uses a word or phrase that has a meaning that is somewhat different from the literal definitions of the words included, that person is using an idiom. Idioms derive their meaning not so much from the words themselves, but from the way they are used and understood by the culture in which they originated. They allow speakers to be colorful and familiar to their listeners at the same time. An idiom that has grown from formal origins to be used on everyday occasions is the phrase “to have the floor.”
As part of a formal meeting, there may be certain circumstances that require a number of different speakers to address the people gathered. Such situations require a certain decorum and structure so that meetings don’t escalate into disorganized chaos with many people talking all at once. The meeting group usually decides who gets to speak and when, and they are the ones who are likely to use this phrase. A meeting leader might say something like, “We’ve heard from the two opposing candidates; Senator, now you have the floor.”
People became familiar with the use of this phrase in formal contexts and thus started using it more familiarly among acquaintances in their daily lives. Now can be used as a way of saying that someone has the right to speak at any given time. For example, someone might say, “Now that you’ve expressed your peace on this matter, allow me to speak.”
Sometimes, this idiom can be invoked if someone is constantly interrupting others’ speech. When used in this way, it lets the person interrupting know that this behavior is not to be tolerated. In this context, someone might say, “You’ve been stuffing your comments into this conversation all night, but now it’s my turn to have the floor.”
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