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Is there an idiom or expression meaning "what you've been offered is the best thing I could offer you, and you won't get anything better" when someone refuses your offer in a rather rude way?

As in:

A: I thought I would take you to a great restaurant for dinner.
B: No. I'm fine at home. You go alone!
A: [?]

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  • 3
    TV commercials often use the expression "This amazing offer will not be repeated!" That expression might work in your situation, too.
    – Sven Yargs
    Feb 26, 2016 at 23:37
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    Possibly related?
    – James
    Feb 27, 2016 at 15:48
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    Is there a reason you're looking for an idiom to say this? Honestly, this more commonly just stated in a non-idiomatic way. ~"Take it or leave it, but that's the best offer you're going to get." Feb 28, 2016 at 14:43
  • @HopelessN00b Well, We have an expression in our native language, and I'm looking for the best equivalant, if there is one! Feb 28, 2016 at 16:11
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    Fair enough. I think in English, the most common way to say it is to actually say it directly, FYI. Feb 28, 2016 at 16:20

16 Answers 16

24

"Suit yourself" is a nice quip to indicate acceptance of the other speaker's preference. Depending on your tone, this short phrase might also be a polite indication of disappointment.

If your aim is to emphasize your disappointment, I agree with Rathony as to saying "You don't know what you're missing."

Finally, if you want to be a bit rude in turn, you might just say "Your loss."

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    I kinda liked the last on best! Feb 26, 2016 at 16:24
25

You could consider using You don't know what you are missing.

It means you will regret if you don't accept my offer or proposal. It could be rephrased to:

You don't have any idea how great my offer would be and you will regret if you miss this opportunity.

1
  • Another way to say it is "don't miss the unmissable!"
    – Graffito
    Feb 26, 2016 at 23:17
12

Take it or leave it, that's my final offer.

would frequently be used in this situation.

"Junior doctors' leaders have rejected a "final take-it-or-leave-it" offer made by the government to settle the bitter contract dispute in England."

8

In England we would simply reply, beggars can't be choosers.

said when you ​recognize that you must ​accept an ​offer or a ​situation because it is the only one ​available to you:

I would have ​preferred a ​house of my own ​rather than ​sharing, but ​beggars can't be choosers, I ​suppose.

Beggars can't be choosers. Retrieved February 26 2016 from Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

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    Somewhat related: The one who pays the piper calls the tune.
    – pp_
    Feb 26, 2016 at 10:20
  • @pp_ - very nice - I've not heard that one before!
    – Charon
    Feb 26, 2016 at 10:34
  • I would probably not use that in retort to the OPs example... doesn't fit. Beggars can't be choosers would be used if the person took them to the restaurant and paid for the meal because the other person didn't have any money... Feb 26, 2016 at 14:44
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    @CallumLinington Beggars can't be choosers definitely isn't limited to just being money-poor. Here, the person refusing would be a beggar because they won't get better offers, hence this being the only choice available. It's definitely appropriate here.
    – KRyan
    Feb 26, 2016 at 17:53
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    This phrase doesn't apply to the original conversation. If someone offers you a free meal at Place A, and you demand instead to eat at Place B, then you can say beggars can't be choosers. But in the original question, the offer was simply rejected. Beggars can always choose nothing. Feb 27, 2016 at 16:37
5

"Too bad, that's as good as it gets." That phrase would be to suggest that they're not going to get anything nicer out of you.

I can't think of any English phrases specifically for this case, but turning one's nose up could be used if someone thinks they're too good for the situation. Looking a gift horse in the mouth refers to finding fault with something you got for free. Pearls before swine can be used when someone doesn't appreciate a fine offer.

4

Americans or Canadians would say, "Sorry, that's the best I can do!"

4

"How very churlish"

...would seem rather apposite to me.

3

I personally would say "That's the best I can do" (optionally with a "¯\_(ツ)_/¯")

If you want to express your disappointment more you could also say "it's your loss"

2

The idiom is, You won't get anything better!*

2

You're making an offer they can't refuse!

An offer in which the repercussions for refusing would be so great that to do so would be either be dangerous or ill-advised. It often implies the "offer" is a threat, but this is not always the case. The phrase was coined by Mario Puzo in his 1969 novel The Godfather, and popularized by the 1972 Francis Ford Coppola film adaptation of the same name

[The Free Dictionary]

Usage:

A: I thought I would take you to a great restaurant for dinner.

B: No. I'm fine at home. You go alone!

A: I was making you an offer you couldn't refuse!

P.S: I hope this is an answer you can't refuse!

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    In the example, it clearly was an offer that they could refuse, because they did.
    – AndyT
    Feb 26, 2016 at 13:55
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    As much as I love that quote it's not really appropriate in this situation.
    – Pharap
    Feb 27, 2016 at 1:07
  • @AndyT - Yes. In hindsight, i reckon the offer should have been made at first.
    – BiscuitBoy
    Feb 27, 2016 at 13:37
2

A common phrase in US when a good proposition is rejected is

You won't get a better offer.

If you want to focus on the rejection, you might offer a mock self-deprecation such as

I've been insulted [or rejected] by better.

The suggestion is the rejector's slight (and by implication, the rejector) is of little consequence.

2

You could also use a colloquialism, depending on speakers context. Rural New England:

A: I thought I would take you to a great restaurant for dinner.
B: No. I'm fine at home. You go alone!
A: Are you sure? This place is the cat's meow.

It may drift from the original intent, because you're not really saying 'there is nothing better' but 'this is the popular choice'.

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    Do they still say that? I thought that went out of style about 70 or 80 years ago
    – Kevin
    Feb 26, 2016 at 23:35
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    @Kevin They probably don't. Haven't lived there in 20 years. I grew up in small town and such phrases were common back then. But, I did spend most of my weekdays in the care of grandparents... so, 70 years ago, would have been the popular culture. Today it's probably more like: 'You turn down for what?'
    – dval
    Feb 27, 2016 at 19:06
1

In your restaurant context this one would be hard to use (but see below), but if the invitation had instead been for a delicious home-cooked meal, you could’ve said:
“OK, be like that, it’s fine ‘cause there’ll be that much more {delicious home-cooked food} for me!”
(explanation of *"be like that" from 'WordReference[dot]com and example of usage of "there'll be that much more for me" from 'Heal Me: The Me Series - Book 4' by D.R. Grady, via 'Google Books")

Even for a declined restaurant invitation, however, you could perhaps use it to make a last-ditch, albeit lengthy, bluff to get him/her to reconsider and, even if unsuccessful, it would at least rub the quality of the food in his/her face one last time:

Ok, yes, thank you [very much], I think I will go alone, but I’ll still order a plate [of their world-class specialty] for you just in case you change your mind but if you don’t, that’s fine, too, ‘cause there’ll be that much more [of it] for me!

*Please note that you could preface most of the good answers given so far with either "Fine, be like that!" or "Fine, be that way!" to emphasize your frustration and disappointment even further.

(warning, use the following with caution: If this person has made similar excuses in the past [and you don’t really care if you ever hear from them again!], you could also add:
“… and don’t forget to wash your hair while you’re at it”
to any of the good answers given so far).

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    What does "be like that" mean in your first paragraph? Feb 26, 2016 at 18:23
  • @Cheiloproclitic I've just added a link to both an example of "there’ll be that much more for me" &, to address the question in your comment, to a WordReference discussion of "Fine, be like that/be that way," which is used to tell someone sarcastically to be (or continue being/acting in) whatever way that's bothering/frustrating you (like in your example, telling the person sarcastically to continue being unappreciative of your invitation),but I wouldn't use it in my main suggestion 'cause it's obviously sarcastic/mildly rude & wouldn't fit well in that attempt to hide sarcasm with politeness.
    – Papa Poule
    Feb 26, 2016 at 19:06
1

If I interpret your question one way, the phrase "the bee's knees" means "the height of excellence."

A: I thought I would take you to a great restaurant for dinner. B: No. I'm fine at home. You go alone! A: But man, it's the bee's knees!

However, reading your comments, you seem to be looking for a good comeback or zinger for someone who rudely turns you down in a rude manner

My friend has a habit of asking me what I'm cooking. Having real particular tastes he often says, I'm not in the mood for that! Or who said I wanted that!?

After being asked "that smells good; what are you making?" it goes like this:

A: I making four cheese tortellini for dinner. B: Who said I wanted tortellini?! A: Well, starve then. Ain't nobody trying to force-feed you!

Obviously, that would only work with the offer of food.

0

"This item is top of the range."

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    Welcome ELU! Please provide reasons why your answer should be chosen and a further definition of your proposed phrase. Please visit the Tour page for to see what kind of answers we are looking for. english.stackexchange.com/tour
    – Skooba
    Feb 29, 2016 at 16:06
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"If you're holding out for better, you are in for a disappointment". Both halves of this sentence are idiomatic phrases of their own. While the combination isn't as such, it's perfectly workable.

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  • Please explain in full how these phrases fit the question. Mar 4, 2016 at 12:17

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