Yes, this idiom is widely used in literature, media, and pop culture to depict conflicting narratives or perspectives in a story.

When my breathing evens out, I turn away from the window. There is just enough light to see Kit’s map. Not the original of course, that was destroyed, but a painstaking recreation of it. It’s a huge relief map of the world, crisscrossed with curves of red and golden thread, measured to the nearest millimeter, glued down with characteristic precision. The gold arcs mark the eclipses he has already seen; the red those we can expect to see in our lifetimes. Part of the ritual is coming home after a trip to replace red threads with gold. (Being Kit, he has calculated his life expectancy using family history, lifestyle and longevity trends, and allowed for infirmity curtailing travel when he’s ninety. So we should see our last eclipse in 2066.) So does the way Farrow undermines Oppenheim with discreet jabs, reminding us that his then-boss was once a right-wing columnist for a student paper (“Reading ‘Clit Notes'” was among his headlines), while letting others poke fun at Oppenheim’s ineptitude as a screenwriter: Leonard, Candy (2014). Beatleness: How the Beatles and Their Fans Remade the World. New York, NY: Arcade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62872-417-2. A tour de force - a gripping, twisting, furiously clever read that asks all the right questions, and keeps you guessing until the very end. I loved it." -- Ruth Ware Sometimes we say ‘she said’, ‘he said’ or ‘they said’ when we don’t need to. Just because it’s a writing device commonly used in dialogue doesn’t mean you have to use it. When you get to the end of a line of dialogue, ask yourself:Tett, Gillian (September 12, 2019). "She Said — a moving account of how the Weinstein story broke". Financial Times. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. We’ve found the murder weapon, Sir,” the policeman said, holding out what he was carrying on a towel. A dialogue tag is a phrase that precedes, breaks up, or follows a written dialogue that tells the reader who’s speaking, but it can also be used to highlight how a character is speaking (i.e., their tone or mood), to whom they’re speaking, or how they’re feeling. Are dialogue tags necessary?

We didn't want to hear about that! We were on an acid trip and the sun was shining and the girls were dancing and the whole thing was beautiful and Sixties, and this guy – who I really didn't know; he hadn't made Easy Rider or anything – kept coming over, wearing shades, saying, "I know what it's like to be dead," and we kept leaving him because he was so boring! ... It was scary. You know ... when you're flying high and [ whispers] "I know what it's like to be dead, man." [4] She Said, He Said” is sponsored by Times Media Co. and Lee Enterprises. Our show is recorded each week at CreataSpacePlace studios in Hobart, Indiana. You can also use this technique to avoid using other ways to say said. Let’s say you want to highlight the fact that a character is shouting.

10 Frequently Asked Questions About "He-Said, She-Said":

Here are 5 simple ways to avoid clunky overuse of ‘he said/she said’: 1. Decide if dialogue tags are necessary

I know, I know,’ he said. ‘That’s what you think you want.’ I opened my mouth. He cut me off. ‘You’re searching for something.’ He slid his glasses off, inspected them. ‘Maybe you’ll find it. But you’re going to have to figure out yourself. What you really care about.’ He smiled.”

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The most common dialogue tag is said, but repeating it can make your writing feel and sound tedious. Similarly, substitutes for said should be used only when it’s necessary to highlight a piece of dialogue or emphasize how the words were spoken. In short, dialogue tags should be used only when necessary and with moderation.