Say no more means 'I understand, no need to explain'. You say it when you've caught what someone needs from a hint and you're ready to help: 'I've got three boxes and no car.' 'Say no more; I'll pick you up after lunch.' What you'll do usually follows right away. It sounds friendly and casual.
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Say no more. / Say no more; I'll + verb.
- You need a quiet place to work? Say no more; the spare room is free.
- 'I promised not to discuss the surprise.' 'Say no more.'
- 'The printer has stopped again.' 'Say no more; I'll bring the paper copies.'
What changed
First version'I need someone to collect the keys.' 'Tell no more; I can go.'
Revision'I need someone to collect the keys.' 'Say no more; I can go.'
Tell and say both mean talk, and tell no more sounds like 'don't tell me anything else'. But tell usually needs a listener after it, and there isn't one here, so the phrase takes say: say no more. With the verb swapped, the reply sounds familiar.
Be quiet asks someone to stop talking, and there's nothing friendly in it. Say no more doesn't shut the person up; it spares them an awkward explanation: 'I've got it, you can stop'. I understand sounds neutral and promises nothing.
Your turn
You understand an implied request and offer help: ___ no more; I'll cover the first hour.
Show the answer
Say — The fixed reply is Say no more. Tell usually needs to say who is being told, and there's no listener here.
A friend hints that nobody can look after her dog this weekend. Offer to help in one sentence with say no more.
'I'm away this weekend, and the dog...' 'Say no more — bring him over on Friday.'
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