not exactly
1. Not quite; not too far from the truth. A: "So you'll be moving back to the city for the new job then?" B: "Not exactly. The wife and kids will stay where they are, and I'll commute back to them for the weekends." A: "Does that make me the manager?" B: "Not exactly—more like a co-manager with Ken."
2. Used sarcastically or ironically to mean "not at all." What do you think of the painting? I'm not exactly Picasso, but I think it turned out pretty well. They won't exactly be pleased to see us after the way the last dinner party went.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.