Reader question:

“Let’s leave it at that, ok?” What does that mean?

My comments:

Leave it at that. At what?

Whatever it is that has been in discussion.

The person who says “l(fā)et’s leave it at that” wants to close the discussion. People make a point and sometimes say: “Let that suffice.” Let that be enough. No more discussion.

Similarly, when people say let’s “l(fā)eave it at that”, they are willing to let go of the matter at that particular point, leaving something unsaid.

For better or worse. Often better – People sometimes choose to leave something unsaid because they know it is better that way. Perhaps it will be disrespectful, or embarrassing, or too painful to say anything further.

Or it would just be totally unnecessary because the point is well made, and well understood.

Chalee Tennison, an American country singer, once sang a song titled Leave it at that. She croons:

Well, I don’t really want to drag this out

If you’re going to say it, say it now

No need to take it slow

We both know it’s over

I don’t need a shoulder

Oh, baby, let’s just

Say goodbye and leave it at that

Instead of saying things we can’t take back

Or race, for another example, is big problem in America, and let’s just leave it at that.

It is always a good idea to say that and quit a huge topic like that right there, don’t you think?

Anyways, to “l(fā)eave it at that” is to abstain from further comment or action. It is good English. Here are a few recent media examples:

1. Mariano Rivera, whose 603 saves over 17 years with the New York Yankees are the most in Major League Baseball history, said the 2012 season may be his last, although he’s not ready to announce his decision.

“It can be tomorrow, it can be in August, it can be in July, but I will definitely let you know,” Rivera, 42, told reporters yesterday at the team’s spring training facility in Tampa, Florida. “I won’t let you know now, but I know. I want to do my job, always, but I made my decision already.”

Rivera, who has helped the Yankees win five World Series titles, surpassed Trevor Hoffman’s career saves record in September, establishing a mark that some baseball historians said may stand forever. No other reliever has more than 500 saves and the closest active pitcher, 36-year-old Francisco Cordero, is 276 saves behind Rivera.

The son of a Panamanian fisherman, Rivera is coming off a season in which he had 44 saves and a 1.91 earned run average, his 11th year with an ERA under 2.00. Rivera has averaged 40 saves since 1997, when he took over as the Yankees’ closer.

Rivera has an 8-1 record with a 0.71 ERA in a record 94 postseason appearances and his 42 career playoff saves are 24 more than any other pitcher.

“Decisions like that are hard,” Rivera said when asked about the possibility of retirement. “It involves what you do, it involves what you have done for 22 years. At the same time, they have to be made.”

Rivera is entering the final season of a two-year, $30 million contract with the Yankees, the only team he’s played for during his major-league career.

Former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, one of Rivera’s closest friends, retired last month after 17 major-league seasons at the age of 40. Rivera said he’s not quite ready to follow yet.

“When I let you guys know, you guys will know,” Rivera told reporters yesterday. “I’m going to leave it at that.”

- New York Yankees’ Mariano Rivera Hints That 2012 Season Will Be His Last, Bloomberg.com, February 21, 2012.

2. (LeBron) James made sure to send out a few text messages the moment Kentucky defeated Kansas in Monday’s college basketball national title game.

James has ties to the Wildcats program, including relationships with coach John Calipari and assistant Brandon Weems. James is a childhood friend of Weems, and also formed bonds with players Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

“It was great,” James said. “I support Kentucky. My little brother, Brandon Weems, is on the coaching staff down there. I’ve been keeping up with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist since he was an eighth-grader. ... To see them win it, I was happy for them.”

James would have been faced with a dilemma had Ohio State defeated Kansas in the national semifinals, pitting James’ beloved Buckeyes against Kentucky.

“I would’ve been in a win-win situation,” James said. “Let’s just leave it at that.”

- Heat expect a better showing in Oklahoma City rematch, Sun-Sentinel.com, April 3, 2012.

3. Kearian Giertz said he was being spontaneous and honest by responding to the question, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?”

“And, I ended it with, hopefully, 10 years from now gay marriage will be legal in California, and I left it at that,” Giertz said.

With that comment, the Fullerton Union High School student was disqualified from the Mr. Fullerton pageant, an annual contest for senior boys that takes place at the school located in Fullerton, California.

“Everybody started cheering him and then Mr. Abell came out and said, ‘Cut him, cut him,’” said student Isaac Fanti. “But he was just speaking his mind.”

Students are now questioning why Vice Principal Joe Abell would remove Giertz from the competition.

Within 24 hours, district officials sent a statement to parents saying no school rules were violated.

In the letter, they, however, admitted the matter was not handled appropriately and noted that the vice principal gave a personal apology.

Students began passing out letters to be handed to the vice principal, asking him the same question asked of Giertz.

“No one should have been offended. Nobody was,” Giertz said. “You don’t check your First Amendment rights at the gates of the school.”

- Student booted from contest over gay marriage comment, KSN.com, April 7, 2012.

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About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

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（作者張欣 中國日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 編輯陳丹妮）