Call It a Day
"To stop working or doing something, usually because enough has been done for now."
Grew out of daily-wage labour practices in the UK and US. The earlier form, "call it half a day," is documented from 1838, describing workers who left before a full day's shift was up, with their pay or attendance record adjusted accordingly. "Call it a day" itself, meaning the working day is entirely finished, is recorded from 1919, with "call it a night" following in 1938. The phrase later broadened well beyond paid work to describe stopping any activity once enough has been done.
Sources: 'Call it half a day' documented from 1838; 'call it a day' from 1919, cited in etymonline.com.
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