Phrase guide

before you can say knife

phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

phrase

Meaning 1

Very quickly; quicker than one expects.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: before you can say Jack Robinson

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: ennen kuin ehdit kissaa sanoa — Translations
  • French: en moins de temps qu'il ne faut pour le dire — Translations
  • German: ehe man sichs versieht — Translations
  • Romanian: cât ai zice pește — Translations
  • Russian: "ма́ма" сказа́ть не успе́ешь ("máma" skazátʹ ne uspéješʹ) — Translations
  • Scottish Gaelic: mun canadh tu deis-dè — Translations
  • Spanish: en menos de lo que canta un gallo — Translations
  • Swedish: innan man vet ordet av — Translations