come to mention it
- idiom
- UK
- Come to mention it, maybe that's why I'm still here.
Examples
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Come to mention it, I have some old photos that you'd love to see.
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Come to mention it, I should really call my friend about our plans.
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Now that I come to mention it, I do remember seeing that movie last month.
Synonyms
To say something new or surprising to get someone's attention
To add extra information not directly related
Say this when you suddenly remember or think of something
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although the verb 'mention' gives a clear cue that the phrase relates to something being brought up, the overall construction 'come to mention it' functions as a fixed discourse marker (like 'now that you mention it' or 'come to think of it') and is not fully compositional. A B1 learner who knows the individual words might guess the general topic but would likely need prior exposure to grasp the idiomatic, conventionalized use and exact pragmatic force.
Etymology
Come to mention it comes from the simple image of a thought coming into your talk when you mention something, as if the idea arrives right as you speak. So today you say it to add something you have just 'remembered' or noticed.