About this quote

A sharp, teasing line that puts frustration into a single playful threat. It shows someone who's tired of sloppy usage but would rather mock than lecture. It asks you to notice tone: is this correction friendly or cutting? If you hear it aimed at you, take one correction and move on; if you use it, make sure your joke nudges toward improvement without causing shame.

When to use it

• At an editorial meeting after the intern keeps swapping 'affect' and 'effect,' the senior editor laughed, "That does it. I'm going to get you a dictionary for Christmas this year."
• During English tutoring when a student keeps saying 'literally' for everything, the tutor joked, "That does it. I'm going to get you a dictionary for Christmas this year."
• At the family dinner when your brother invents a word to sound clever, you grin and say, "That does it. I'm going to get you a dictionary for Christmas this year."
• After a friend uses fancy words incorrectly during a book club debate, someone quips, "That does it. I'm going to get you a dictionary for Christmas this year."