Possible Clues:

• I had ten thousand in a manner of speaking
• Beat around the bush, e.g
• Colloquial phrase
• Phrase
• Set phrase
• I had become attached to the Isle of Man in a manner of speaking
• How to talk about instincts? Me? Coming up!
• ''Fly off the handle,'' e.g.
• "Once in a blue moon," for one
• "Hit the books" is one