Edgewise means sideways, with the edge or thin side facing forward. If you need to slide a large book into a narrow space on a shelf, you might have to turn it edgewise so its spine goes in first instead of its wide cover.

The word appears most often in the expression “can't get a word in edgewise.” This means someone is talking so much and so continuously that nobody else has a chance to speak. Imagine trying to join a conversation, but every time you open your mouth, the other person keeps going without pause. You're trying to slip your words into the conversation edgewise, like sliding something thin through a crack, but there's simply no opening.

When someone finally stops talking and you manage to say something, you might joke, “Well, now that I can get a word in edgewise...” The phrase captures that feeling of waiting patiently (or impatiently) for just a tiny gap in someone's monologue so you can contribute your own thoughts.