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3. before you can say

before you can say

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before you can say something

surprisingly quickly before you know it This bow shoots so fast, the arrow is in the target before you can say a€?gee whiz!a€?

Usage notes: often the word or phrase that follows before you can say is related to the situation you are talking about: In summer, food goes bad before you can say a€?heat wave!a€?

See also: before, can, say