don't call us, we'll call you
- idiom
:
no nos llames, te llamaremos
- The company responded to all applicants with the standard, don't call us, we'll call you message by email.
Examples
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When he finished the job interview, the manager ended with, don't call us, we'll call you, making the outcome clear.
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After the audition, the director simply said, don't call us, we'll call you, leaving her feeling disappointed.
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The company said, don't call us, we'll call you!
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After the interview, they told me, don't call us, we'll call you.
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After the audition, the director simply said, don't call us, we'll call you, leaving her feeling disappointed.
-
The company responded to all applicants with the standard, don't call us, we'll call you message by email.
-
When he finished the job interview, the manager ended with, don't call us, we'll call you, making the outcome clear.
Synonyms
312
2.9
Refuse an offer, invitation, or request
272
3.4
To say no politely to an offer or invitation
31
3.8
Say no to an idea or plan in a sudden, strong way
2
9.9
Tell someone to go away in a rude way
To say no to an idea or plan without giving a reason
A rude phrase telling someone you refuse their request and they should go away
Antonyms
How Dismissive
- UK
Surface Forms
Morphology
don't + call + us, + we'll + call + you
Although the literal composition 'don't call us, we'll call you' is understandable from the words, the conventionalized pragmatic meaning — a polite or dismissive way to reject an application (often implying they will not actually call) — is not derivable from the constituent words alone. This ironic, speech-act meaning is culturally and contextually conventionalized and therefore would likely be missed by a B1 learner who only knows the literal meanings.
Etymology
Don't call us, we'll call you comes from offices and auditions where staff would say don't call us and promise we'll call you so the visitor would leave and not call back. One popular story says this polite promise usually meant the opposite, so today the phrase is often used as a gentle way to say 'rejected' or to end the conversation.