Don't call us, we'll call you.
cliché Do not be in further contact with us regarding your application/submission/inquiry/etc., we will contact you if we wish to proceed further (generally meaning that no such contact should be expected). Thank you for your interesting submission to our fiction department. We'll think it over for now—don't call us, we'll call you. I thought I had a good shot at this job until the recruiter said, "Don't call us, we'll call you" after the interview. The guy who fielded your call said, "Don't call us, we'll call you"? Well, that's not a good sign!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
don't call us, we'll call you
used as a dismissive way of saying that someone has not been successful in an audition or job application. informalFarlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
don’t call ˌus, we’ll call ˈyou
(informal) used for indicating that the speaker has no interest in meeting somebody, taking something that somebody is offering, etc: I had hoped she might want me to work with her, but her attitude was one of ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you.’Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
Don’t call us, we’ll call you
sent. a formulaic expression given to job applicants who have just interviewed or auditioned for a job. Stupendous, Gloria, just stupendous. What glamour and radiance! Don’t call us, we’ll call you.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
don't call us, we'll call you
We’ll let you know when a decision—probably an unfavorable one—has been made. This formulaic brush-off dates from the mid-1940s and probably comes from the theater, ending an audition for a part. It was soon broadened to many areas where a candidate is rejected (for a job, political office, athletic team, and so on). A newer version of the theatrical rejection is Thank you very much, said without a hint of the gratitude implied by the words. It, too, may become a cliché.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer