say when
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English
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Verb
[edit]say when (third-person singular simple present says when, present participle saying when, simple past and past participle said when)
- (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
[edit]imperative to request when the pouring of a drink should stop