“Just for the record” is an idiom used to clarify one’s position on a topic, regardless of whether it is being recorded. It is often used to prevent misunderstandings and can also be used to explain one’s motivation or actions. “Just to set the record straight” is a more accurate version of the phrase.
“Just for the record” is an English-language idiom used to indicate that a person is trying to clarify his or her ideas or position on a given issue to a group of listeners or readers. An idiom is a phrase with a figurative meaning that differs somewhat from the commonly accepted literal meaning. Literally, someone would use this phrase to get a certain statement officially on a public record, as might happen when someone is being interviewed by a reporter for a newspaper. People most commonly say this in normal conversation, however, when nothing said is actually recorded for a public record.
The phrase is idiomatic because its commonly understood use has nothing to do with a real public act. In general, someone might say a comment is “just for the record” to make sure their position on a particular topic is very clear, no matter what else they might say that could be construed as something different. The “register” is neither tangible nor accessible to the “audience,” but the saying still prompts people to take note of the speaker’s actual opinions and ideas.
More accurately, a person might say “just to set the record straight,” as is most commonly applied in situations where a speaker or writer feels the need to clarify or prevent a misunderstanding or misunderstanding. There is no physical “record” involved in this usage. A lecturer presenting philosophical arguments against free will, for example, may tell these listeners “just for the record, I believe in free will” to clarify that the arguments he presents do not reflect his own beliefs.
Another common use of the idiom is to clarify a person’s motivation for saying something or engaging in a particular action. The individual can use the idiom to point out that he is asking a lot of aggressive questions not because he disagrees but because he doesn’t understand. Alternatively, someone could use it to explain why he did something that seemed particularly unintelligent. A person who shows up to work in soaking wet clothes, for example, may justify his inability to reach for an umbrella by saying “for the record, the weatherman never mentioned any rain today.”
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