“It goes without saying”: meaning, origin and examples
What it means
The phrase It goes without saying is used to indicate that something is so obvious that it doesn’t need to be mentioned.
Tone The tone is typically straightforward and implies a common understanding.
Where it comes from
The phrase has been used in English since at least the mid-19th century; it likely translates a French expression “cela va sans dire.”
Examples
- It goes without saying that you should apologize if you hurt someone’s feelings.
- It goes without saying that you need to lock all the doors before leaving the house.
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