say when

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

say when (third-person singular simple present says when, present participle saying when, simple past and past participle said when)

1. (idiomatic) An imperative form used to request that the interlocutor indicate when one should stop doing something, esp. pouring a drink, because one has reached a sufficient amount.

   Say when! ― When! Thanks.

   • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 161:

     The publican placed a whisky bottle and three glasses on the ledge and Grierson poured, with the courtesy of, "Say when," to the trooper, who was forced to exclaim, "Hold on!" in protest at a tumbler three-quarters full of whisky.

Translations

imperative to request when the pouring of a drink should stop

• Arabic:

  South Levantine Arabic: قول بس m (dialectal)

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 夠就話我知／够就话我知 (gau³ zau⁶ waa⁶ ngo⁵ zi¹)

  Mandarin: 夠了就告訴我／够了就告诉我 (gòu le jiù gàosù wǒ)

• Czech: řekni dost
• Danish: sige til
• Finnish: sano, kun riittää
• Hungarian: szólj, ha elég; szólj, (hogy) mennyit/meddig töltsek
• Portuguese: please add this translation if you can

Anagrams

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