at every opportunity; whenever there is a chance; on the least pretext
Used when someone seizes any small reason to do something, often with a critical or exasperated tone. Similar to 何かと言うと.
See also: 何かというと
He complains at every opportunity.
That person starts bragging whenever there is a chance.
Common variant without the kanji 言.
Phrase composed of 何か (something) + と (quotative) + 言えば (conditional of 言う, 'to say'). Literally 'if one says something', it developed the idiomatic sense of 'at every opportunity'.