# The phrase "not to mention" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 17, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244 "2021-12-17T21:32:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/1 "2021-12-17T21:32:39Z")
So, basically meaning [“in addition to”, “as well as”,](https://www.google.com/search?q=not+ot+mention&rlz=1C1CHBD_enCA835CA835&oq=not+ot+mention&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i10i433j0i10l8.3036j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) the phrase seems to (sure, clunkily) mean to me: _do not_ mention, do not add anything further. No? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/2 "2021-12-17T21:37:19Z")
“And need I mention…” or “and I needn’t mention…” Or, a family staple, “and while we’re on the subject.” ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/3 "2021-12-17T21:38:20Z")
To me it means more like “and I have **not** yet managed **to mention** X”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/4 "2021-12-17T21:41:11Z")
“And that’s not even getting into…” ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/5 "2021-12-17T21:53:58Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > the phrase seems to (sure, clunkily) mean to me: _do not_ mention, do not add anything further. > No? No. The phrase introduces extra information that reinforces a point; while noting that the point would have stood _even without mentioning_ this extra information. “To say nothing of” is the exact same formulation. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/6 "2021-12-17T22:00:47Z")
100% agree with @Riemann. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/7 "2021-12-19T05:41:03Z")
Soupy Sales and Pookie: Pookie: I went to the museum, and it was stimulating, not to mention exhilarating! Soupy: Exhilarating? Pookie: I told you not to mention exhilarating! From this cute clip, at 2:08 to 2:18 🙂 [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kcb87xi8cVg/hqdefault.jpg "Soupy & Pookie") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcb87xi8cVg) The music, BTW, appears to be from this record by Clark Terry: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nHKCw8sKcOo/maxresdefault.jpg "Mumbles - Oscar Peterson & Clark Terry") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHKCw8sKcOo) ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/8 "2021-12-19T15:18:43Z")
This is an example of an idiom. You cannot derive the meaning of an idiom from the dictionary definition of the words involved. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/9 "2021-12-19T15:31:16Z")
@Riemann explains the phrase perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/10 "2021-12-19T16:46:10Z")
Concurred, and thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/11 "2021-12-19T19:39:36Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > No? Only if you’re setting up [a joke.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/7) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-not-to-mention/956244/12 "2021-12-19T20:10:43Z")
A-hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk, yeah totally.