Say Less

Kewl kids use "say less" to mean "I understand." This phrase is a heightened variant of "say no more" - another phrase that means "I get it." (When someone says "say no more," it means you don't have to say anything else to convey your meaning. When someone says "say less," it means you've said more than enough to convey your meaning.)

What is the origin of say less?

While say less's exact origin is unknown, the phrase appears to have become popular in the early 2010s. The earliest Urban Dictionary entry for say less was entered in 2011.

In 2017, Toronto-based musician Roy Woods released an album titled Say Less. In an interview about the album, Woods stated that "'Say less' means kind of ... 'I understand' ... [y]ou understand what the person is telling you already: 'Say less fam; Imma do it.'" In 2021, say less was included in a popular slang-related SNL skit, titled Gen Z Hospital.

How do I use say less?

You can use say less IRL, in text and chat conversations, and on social media to tell millennials and zoomers that you understand what they're saying. However, you should use say less in only informal settings, and you shouldn't use it when speaking to "olds" who might not understand the phrase's meaning. (For example, if you tell your 50-something boss to "say less," they might tell you to pack your things.)

In some instances, it's also appropriate to use say less to mean "stop talking," in addition to or instead of "I understand." For example, if your friend is droning on and on about how Superman could beat Goku in a fight, you could tell your friend to "say less."