1
general::
Phrase(s): as I was saying [and] like I was saying
to repeat what I’ve been saying; to continue with what I was saying. (The first form is appropriate in any conversation. The second form is colloquial, informal, and familiar. In addition, this use of like for as, in the second form, is objected to by many people.) • Bill: Now, Mary, this is one of the round ones that attaches to the wire here. Bob (passing through the room): Hello, you two! I’ll talk to you later. Bill: Yeah, see you around. Now, as I was saying, Mary, this goes here on this wire. • Tom: I hate to interrupt, but someone’s car is being broken into down on the street. Fred: As I was saying, these illegal practices must stop.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs