before you can say knife

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English

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Phrase

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before you can say knife

  1. Very quickly; quicker than one expects.
    Synonym: before you can say Jack Robinson
    • 1893, Rudyard Kipling, “Judson and the Empire”, in Many Inventions[1]:
      'Oh, we'll pull you off before you can say knife. Take care of His Excellency. I shall try to get a little sleep now.'
    • 1926, W. Somerset Maugham, “The Letter”, in More Far Eastern Tales, Random House, published 2010, →ISBN:
      ‘Ginger, Ginger, before you can say knife she'll make you into a damned missionary.’ I don't know that I'd mind that so much if we had a little mission of our own.

Translations

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Further reading

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