JUNE 14, 2008 | That does it/that'll do
That does it! is something that you might say if you're annoyed or frustrated. It is said when you reach the limit of your patience about something. For example, you're sitting in a restaurant and the waiter doesn't come to your table for half an hour - you tell him that you want to order and he says that he'll be back in 5 minutes... You turn to your girlfriend and say "That does it! We're leaving." - This is the same as saying: "That's it. We're leaving."
That'll do is another way of saying "that's enough" or "that's fine". Whereas the phrase "that does it!" is somewhat emotional (and sometimes confrontational), "that'll do" is more neutral. For example, if your kids are behaving badly, you can tell them "that'll do", meaning "stop, that's enough". If someone offers you something and it's good enough, you can tell them that "it will do". It often has the connotation of "it's not perfect, but it's good enough."
ESL BLOG HOME