even if one says

to say, to tell somebody / to call, to name, to give a name / to cry, to call, to make a noise (such as an animal)

past tense and perfective aspect of 言う (iu, yū) [godan]

nonetheless, although, be that as it may

to startle; to surprise; to astonish

in other words; what I (you, etc.) mean is

having a comeback or excuse for everything one is told, being smart in the sense of having a smart mouth

(idiomatic) just as [someone] says

(idiomatic) needless to say, goes without saying

(idiomatic) silence is golden, better left unsaid