to say nothing of/needless to say the expenses

Question

We are too busy to take a trip, needless to say/to say nothing of the expenses.Do both needless to say and to say nothing of fit in the above? If not, why not? Thanks.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

We are too busy to take a trip, needless to say/to say nothing of the expenses.

Do both needless to say and to say nothing of fit in the above? No. If not, why not?

to say nothing of. This requires the structure .... A, to say nothing of B, where A and B are similar things.eg

We can't afford the airfare, to say nothing of the hotel expenses. In this case, both A and B relate to money.

You might also like to consider the expression 'not to mention' as an alternative to 'to say nothing of'. eg

We can't afford the airfare, not to mention the hotel expenses.

needless to say. This is used to stress something that is sufficiently obvious that it really doesn't need mentioning. eg

His wife died in his arms after 40 years. Needless to say, he was heart-broken.

You might also like to consider the expression 'it goes without saying' as an alternative to 'needless to say'. eg

His wife died in his arms after 40 years. It goes without saying that he was heart-broken.

Best wishes, Clive

Khoff · Answer

Hi Clive -- I think your explanations of "to say nothing of" and "needless to say" are great. However, I have one small quibble with one of your examples. His wife died in his arms after 40 years leaves me wondering -- after 40 years of what? Of being in his arms?

How about "After 40 years of marriage, his wife died in his arms"?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Both versions are OK.

In yours, the meaning is explicit. In mine, it is implicit. Most readers will not assume that he has been holding his wife in his arms for 40 years. Sometimes he has to eat lunch, or tie his shoes.

Best wishes, Clive

to say nothing of/needless to say the expenses

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