call it quits

Idioms and Phrases

Stop working, abandon something, give up, as in John is calling it quits for now or This ground is far too stony for a garden so I'm calling it quits . This idiom comes from cry quits , dating from the 1600s and meaning “declare even” or “get even.” The verb call was substituted in the late 1800s. Also see call it a day .

Related Words

• abandon
• break off
• cease
• conclude
• discontinue
• drop
• give up
• halt
• leave
• retire
• suspend
• terminate
• withdraw