とばかり（に）as if to say
Someone's manner says the words for them. They act as if saying "Now!" or "Leave it to me", and say nothing: it is a narrator's reading of what another person does.
The audience burst into applause as if to say, "This is what we've been waiting for."
a set phrase
The moment his opponent hesitated, the player saw his chance and went on the attack.
How to form it
Quoted words + とばかり（に）
The words are short, as someone might blurt them out: 今だ, 任せろ, 待ってました. The に is optional and changes nothing. Also と言わんばかりに; before a noun it is usually that one, と言わんばかりの.
- Said about
- Someone else, or an animal: you are reading their manner from outside. Hardly ever yourself, except in the set phrase ここぞとばかりに.
- Often
- ここぞとばかりに (seizing the moment), 待ってましたとばかりに, 今だとばかりに.
- Where you'll meet it
- Novels, sports reports, feature writing. It is for reading: said plainly, it is と言うように. ここぞとばかりに is heard in conversation too.
In use
As if to say "Leave it to me," he lifted the heavy box by himself.
When it was time for questions, she saw her chance and shot her hand up.
ここぞ is "this is the moment".
He gave a smile that seemed to say, "This settles it."
Before a noun.
んばかり or とばかり?
My little sister waved so hard her arm looked ready to come off.
How hard she waves. A verb before んばかり: her arm looks on the very point of coming off, and doesn't.
My little sister waved as if to say "Over here!"
What her wave says. Words before とばかりに: she acts as if saying them, and says nothing.
と言わんばかりに is the two together: 言う with んばかり, "looking about to say". It means the same as とばかりに.
Close neighbours
んばかりN1
A verb before it, not words: "as if about to".
She clutched the letter, looking as if she were about to burst into tears.
A look-alike. After a noun it is two words, と ("with") and the ばかり of "nothing but": with them and nobody else.
Lately my son spends all his time with his friends.
げN2
何か言いたげ: someone looks as if they have something to say, and you can't tell what. とばかりに supplies the words.
He was looking at me as if he had something to say.
Check yourself
1Did he say it?
兄は
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
先生が
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
The cat pawed at the bag of food as if to say "I can't wait any longer."
When the door opened, the newcomer stepped forward as if to say, "This is my moment."
The dog was wagging its tail by the front door as if to say, "Come on, let's go for our walk."