| 单词 | to tell the world |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto tell the world Phrases P1. With tale. See also sense 20. a. to tell one's tale: to relate one's story; (also) to say what one has to say, to deliver one's message.Quot. 1645 probably belongs here, though some editors of Milton have referred it to sense 17, taking it as ‘counts his number or sum (i.e. of sheep)’. ΘΚΠ society > communication > information > message > send a message or messenger [verb (transitive)] > deliver one's message to tell one's taleOE society > leisure > the arts > literature > prose > narrative or story > tell a story [verb (intransitive)] to tell one's taleOE narrate1795 to spin a yarn1819 yarn1859 to spin a twist1867 OE Royal Charter: William I to Archbishops, Bishops, & Others, supporting Rights of Abbot Baldwin in D. C. Douglas Feudal Documents Abbey Bury St. Edmunds (1932) 53 Se biscop tealde ful gerædelice his tale gif hit soð wære. c1330 (?a1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) p. 552 Þer com þe fischer priueliche, & puked þemperour softliche: His tale to him he told. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 3174 Sorwfulli to that sche preide He tolde his tale. c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 3140 (MED) Tofore þe kyng on knee he duelleþ, And gentillich his tale he telleþ. a1475 Sidrak & Bokkus (Lansd.) (1999) II. l. 11300 Many men in pleting..to telle her tale abaisshed be. 1539 R. Morison Invective ayenste Treason sig. F They..dyd moch wonder that day, to here him tel his tale. 1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 i. iii. 252 Good vncle tell your tale, I haue done. View more context for this quotation 1645 J. Milton L'Allegro in Poems 33 And every Shepherd tells his tale Under the Hawthorn in the dale. 1790 Edinb. Herald 8 Sept. 1/4 The Gaberlunzie tirils my sneck, And shiv'ring tells his waefu' tale. 1883 Cent. Mag. Nov. 86/2 He knows all their secrets,—butcher, baker, coal-dealer, tailor, milliner, mantua-maker, servants, all tell their tales to him. 1953 Life 8 June 35/1 To protect his honor and his children, Georgescu had told his tale to the State Department. 2001 N.Y. Times 3 June v. 16/1 The crime took place at 1 p.m., and I went to the Marylebone Police Station and told my tale to a harried sergeant. b. to tell tales: see tale n. 3c. to tell tales out of school: see school n.1 Phrases 6. c. to tell the tale. (a) In various phrases expressing the fact of having survived a dangerous experience and therefore being able to recount or reflect upon it (esp. in to live to tell the tale); also in extended use. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > fabrication of statement or story > invent, concoct [verb (transitive)] forgec1386 contrivec1400 commentc1450 dissimule1483 devisea1535 invent1535 fable1553 coin1561 to make upc1650 manufacture1700 to tell the tale1717 fabricate1779 concoct1792 fob1805 mythologize1851 fabulate1856 phoney1940 1717 A. Pope tr. Homer Iliad III. xii. 86 All Troy must perish,..Nor shall a Trojan live to tell the Tale. 1790 E. Umfreville Present State Hudson's Bay 8 It is..surprizing any should be left alive to tell the tale. 1827 N.-Y. Mirror 7 July 400/2 They'll wonder—not that I have loved—But that I've lived to tell the tale. 1875 C. A. Jones Stories for Christian Year VI. 69 She must have gone down sudden like; there ain't a man left to tell the tale. 1915 E. Wharton Let. 12 Jan. (1988) 346 As she walked through the whole length & breadth of the American ambulance, & survived to tell the tale, I take the rosiest view of her health. 1991 G. Burn Alma Cogan (1992) vi. 112 Tony's dead... Ronnie's still around to tell the tale. 2006 Nuts 11 Aug. 10/2 Can you tell how it's going to end? Will everyone get blown away or will they all live to tell the tale? (b) British colloquial. To tell a false or exaggerated story, esp. in order to evoke a sympathetic response. Now rare or disused. ΚΠ 1905 A. M. Binstead Mop Fair xii. 208 No art known to moderns..which is netting more money for its artificers than the art of ‘telling the tale’. 1928 Daily Express 15 Dec. 7/4 Moneylender at Bow County Court. What did you tell me when you borrowed the money? Debtor: Oh, we all tell the tale when we want money. 1968 ‘J. le Carré’ Small Town in Germany xiii. 204 He couldn't half tell the tale... He could tell you any bloody tale and you believed it. 1979 R. Blythe View in Winter iv. 175 I'm not tellin' the tale. We all went to the war. P2. to tell (the) truth: (used parenthetically) (a) indeed, truly (used to emphasize a statement) (b) to be frank, to be honest (used esp. to preface an admission of something). Similarly truth (also sooth) to tell.See also if (the) truth be told at truth n. and adv. Phrases 3c. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > truthfulness, veracity > [adverb] > as emphasis God (it) wot?c1225 goddot?a1289 sooth to sayc1330 truth (also sooth) to tella1375 honestly1819 honest Indian1854 truthfully1854 honest Injun1857 on the level1872 straight1874 honest1876 square dinkum1888 no kidding1901 straight-up1963 a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 34 Þe couherdes hound..fast þider fulwes, & sone as he it seiȝ, soþe forto telle, he gan to berke on þat barn. a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 160 But trewþe for to telle whan time come of daye [etc.]. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iii. l. 1598 To telle trowthe, Sche..Were worthi thanne to be blamed. c1475 (c1399) Mum & Sothsegger (Cambr. Ll.4.14) (1936) ii. l. 77 For to telle trouthe..me thynketh That no manere meyntenour shulde..haue lordis leuere þe lawe to apeire. 1553 C. Tye Actes of Apostles (new ed.) viii. sig. G.vi A certayne man, there was whose name Was Simon truth to tell. ?1566 W. P. tr. C. S. Curio Pasquine in Traunce f. 43v If these newes displeased them, it doth the more please me, for (to tell the truth) they are growen into suche a deadly hatred with me..that [etc.]. 1582 J. Yates Castell of Courtesie f. 49 But sooth to tell, Time with her Time can euery thing bestowe. 1613 F. Beaumont Knight of Burning Pestle iv. i. sig. H2 Lady before I go, I must remember Your fathers Officers, who truth to tell, Haue beene about me very diligent. 1665 R. Head Eng. Rogue I. xiii. 133 Mother Cunny (to tell the truth) was the Nick-name of that Corpulent Matron. 1756 D. Hume Let. 20 Apr. (1932) I. 229 But to tell the truth, we people in the country (for such you Londoners esteem our city) are apt to be troublesome to you people in the town. a1777 S. Foote Maid of Bath (1778) iii. 57 Dost think one could not get her on easier terms than on marriage?..To tell truth, Billy, I have always had that in my head. 1837 Flowers of Fiction 235/1 To tell the truth, you're looking very ill. 1855 H. Rogers Ess. II. vii. 323 Sooth to tell, the narrative of the achievements..draws largely on our faith. 1877 Spirit of Times 24 Nov. 454/3 It is called The Sorcerer, and, truth to tell, it is very wild, even wilder than the farce at the Haymarket. 1903 Lippincott's Monthly Mag. Aug. 230 To tell the truth, Barrett's calm philosophy irritated her not a little. 1946 C. Bush Case Second Chance xv. 209 And, to tell the truth, the more I delved into those dark obscured possibilities of the past, the more I began to feel something of horror. 1971 J. Blume Then again, maybe I Won't (1979) 38 To tell the truth I don't know how I would manage in Rosemont without my ten-speed bike. 1998 N. Lawson How to Eat (1999) 331 I am working on banishing the starter from my dinner-partying life. (Truth to tell, I don't have much of a dinner-partying life.) 2005 J. MacGregor Sunday Money i. 29 It was all pretty unspectacular, to tell the truth. P3. a. to tell a person so: to tell a person that which has just been referred to, or is indicated by the context (cf. so adv. and conj. 2a). ΚΠ ?a1425 tr. Catherine of Siena Orcherd of Syon (Harl.) (1966) 405 It is opinly knowe þat a wickid man dooþ yuel, & his owne conscience telliþ him so. ?c1425 (c1412) T. Hoccleve De Regimine Principum (Royal 17 D.vi) (1860) 26 I tolde hym so, and ever he seide, nay. 1532 T. More Confut. Tyndales Answere ii. p. cxl Tyndale sayth that saynt Paule chose hym bycause he found in hym more wysdome, sadnes, and vertue, then in the aged men of that place. And Tyndale doeth well to tell vs so. 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry V iii. vii. 101 I was told so by one that knows him. 1674 C. Cotton tr. B. de Montluc Commentaries vi. 302 Sir, we know very well you have been told so. 1748 S. Richardson Clarissa III. lxiii. 300 You know..that I have an open and free heart, and, naturally, have as open and free a countenance; at least my complimenters have told me so. 1840 Daily Picayune (New Orleans) 18 Sept. 2/2 The persons rightly concluded it was an effort to ‘rope in’, and told Trainer so. 1910 R. Kipling Rewards & Fairies 187 Senecas aren't Hurons, they're Iroquois, of course, and Toby told him so. 1995 W. Marvel in G. W. Gallagher Fredericksburg Campaign 6 Officers seemed to convince themselves that they had seen it coming all along, and as soon as Burnside was safely dead, some came forward to claim that they had told him so. b. I told you so: often used to comment on the fulfilment of a prediction made by the speaker, or to remind the person addressed that he or she has previously been warned that some (typically unfortunate) event or circumstance would ensue, particularly if a given course of action was followed. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > advice > [phrase] > I told you so I told you so1616 1616 B. Jonson Epicœne iv. iv, in Wks. I. 572 I told you so, sir, and you would not beleeue me. View more context for this quotation 1748 S. Richardson Clarissa V. ii. 26 I told you so! whisperingly said I, turning to the women; shaking my head with a face of great concern and pity. 1797 M. Robinson Walsingham IV. lxxxi. 156 ‘Heaven knows, that my heart is incapable of changing.’ ‘I told you so,’ interrupted Lady Arabella, ‘and it was vastly presumptuous in you to dispute my opinion.’ 1831 tr. L. A. F. De Bourrienne Life N. Bonaparte III. xix. 164 Staps..said: ‘Am I not well, Sir?’ Corvisart told the emperor that nothing ailed him. ‘I told you so,’ said Staps. 1875 H. B. Stowe We & our Neighbors xxxv. 331 Would we be willing to have somebody topple headlong into destruction for the sake of being able to say, ‘I told you so’? 1936 M. Plowman Faith called Pacifism 81 Mr. Lloyd George, as the wild cat of the House of David, said: ‘I told you so.’ 2006 Baltimore Sun 20 Aug. f5/3 As mercury builds up in our predator fish and plastic litters the ocean, one can imagine Humboldt hovering in the afterlife, gently muttering, ‘I told you so.’ c. (I) told you so: an utterance of the phrase ‘I told you so’, or an observation equivalent to this; a person given to making such observations; also used attributively to designate a look, manner, etc., with the same meaning or implication as the spoken phrase. Similarly we told you so, etc. ΚΠ 1823 Niles' Weekly Reg. 30 Aug. 406/2 It is a ‘prophecy after the fact’,..the ‘I told you so’ of the old lady, when one of her children called out ‘mother, mother, the hogs are eating the grindstone!’ 1830 A. M. Morgan & H. M. Jones Horatio in Search of Wife iv. 57 Granby raised his eyes to those of Horatio, with an ‘I told you so’ look. 1890 Puck (N.Y.) 24 Dec. 302/2 What can we say..that does not convey, in the light of what we have said aforetime, a strong suggestion of ‘told-you-so’? 1898 Pall Mall Gaz. 9 Mar. 2/2 The journal..assumes its most poker-backed ‘we-told-you-so’ attitude. 1926 P. Whiteman & M. M. McBride Jazz iii. 49 I really did debate whether I hadn't better give up and let the I-told-you-so's, who said jazz would bring me to no good end, have it their own way. 1954 W. Faulkner Fable (1955) 43 His I-told-you-so to the elders. 1962 New Statesman 25 May 768/3 Failure was doubtless foreseen by professional told-you-sos. 1986 ARTnews Nov. 50/1 Self's return to the ICA was a long, loud told-you-so. He proved he can be as nimble as anyone and beholden to none. 1996 R. Drewe Drowner (1998) 56 Angelica tiptoes through this disorder with a queenly, I-told-you-so angle to her eyebrows. 2010 New Yorker 8 Nov. 14/1 Now that he's a success..his many old friends, including me, can share a sweet, told-you-so satisfaction. d. I-told-you-so v. (also told-you-so) intransitive to say ‘I told you so’, or make an observation equivalent to this. ΚΠ 1898 Boston Daily Advertiser 22 Mar. There is a good deal of wholly inappropriate I-told-you-so-ing on the part of our still impenitent free trade friends. 1913 E. A. Baker Miss Mystery vi. 123 The doctor was openly jubilant over her progress, and went about ‘I-told-you-so-ing!’ like an exulting youngster. 1985 Guardian (Nexis) 30 Sept. How they gloated and ‘I-told-you-so'd’ over Working Woman's financial crisis. 2000 R. Robertson Heroes xv. 106 Bayle's mother lectured, cajoled, harangued, hectored, and told-you-so'd, but she didn't cry. P4. to tell all: to tell, disclose, or reveal everything; (in later use often) spec. to disclose the whole truth about a matter or person, typically divulging secret or confidential details (esp. as part of a published account). Cf. tell-all n. and adj. ΘΚΠ society > communication > manifestation > disclosure or revelation > disclose or make revelations [verb (intransitive)] cough1393 wrayc1425 to break a secreta1450 to tell allc1450 to bring (also put) to light1526 to let on1725 to open up1884 to come out of the closet1971 to come out1976 c1450 King Ponthus (Digby) in Publ. Mod. Lang. Assoc. Amer. (1897) 12 144 (MED) It were long to tell all, so I lete it passe lyghtly. ?1520 tr. Peter of Luxembourg Next Way to Heuen sig. B.jv Than tell all thy synnes, for yf yu hyde ony synnes by the counseyle of suche an aduocate thou lesest thy cause in ye courte of mercy, & yf yu tell all yu arte quyte. ?1553 Respublica (1952) v. x. 63 Insol. Madame onlye Avarice made vs all to fall. Avar. yea? Falle to peaching? naie, then will I tell all. 1620 N. Butler Let. 9 Oct. in V. A. Ives Rich Papers: Lett. Bermuda (1984) 185 They..have given out secretly that if they be not payed to their utmost peny of wages, they will goe to the Spanish Embassador, and tell all. 1668 P. B. tr. ‘L. Fountaine’ Relation Country of Jansenia 46 Their Priests take great delight to hear their Penitents repeat their sins several times. After they have put them to the trouble of telling all, they most often deny them Absolution. 1715 C. Bullock Woman's Revenge iii. 59 Dear, Sir, endeavour to save my Life, and I'll tell all? 1790 T. Holcroft German Hotel ii. 22 Promise not to fleer at me any more, or I'll tell all. 1848 Northwood x. 174 Go away—oh! the priest—I'll confess—I'll tell all—Oh! lost, lost, lost! 1879 Washington Post 24 June 1/5 (headline) The lady's watch found on his person, and her jewelry at the pawnbroker's—he makes a clean breast and tells all. 1920 Photoplay Mag. June 103/1 I shall threaten to tell all if you girls don't stop pestering me. And then you would be sorry—because I wouldn't interest you any more. 1971 J. Lofland Analyzing Social Settings vi. 132 We delude ourselves if we expect very many field workers actually to ‘tell all’ in print. 2002 Independent 2 Nov. 3/3 The Princess..had clung to moments of happiness with the man who later told all in a publishing deal and tried to sell her love letters. P5. In various uses with specific personal pronouns. a. With me (also us). (a) In negative constructions, expressing incredulity, impatience, or (with clause as object) dismay; esp. in don't (also never) tell me (also us).you don't mean to tell me: see mean v.1 5. ΚΠ 1589 ‘M. Marprelate’ Iust Censure & Reproofe sig. D.ijv Neuer tell me, that he is too graue to trouble himselfe with Martins conceits. a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) i. i. 1 Neuer tell me, I take it much vnkindly. View more context for this quotation 1675 R. Head Nugæ Venales (ed. 2) 44 Sir, said his man it is early day yet, the clock having but just now struck ten; Pish, sayes he, don't tell me of ten by the clock, when it hath struck Twelve by my stomack. 1729 T. Odell Smugglers i. 19 Both. We..find it can't be afforded. Conscience. Phoo, pox, don't tell me so; I know what your Wine costs ye; a meer Trifle. 1764 S. Foote Patron iii. 67 Not to be spoke with! Don't tell me, Sir; he must, he shall. a1843 R. Haines Richard Plantagenet (?1883) iii. iii. 18 Nay, never tell me; I won't suffer this melancholy. 1861 ‘G. Eliot’ Silas Marner ix. 143 Not come to live in this house? Don't tell me. 1925 C. Archer tr. S. Undset Mistress of Husaby ii. i. 119 Nay, now, never tell me you are to be our King, Erling Vidkunssön! 1944 M. Laski Love on Supertax iv. 52 Who's your latest pick-up?..Not Sir Hubert Porkington! Don't tell me you've actually hooked him! 1961 E. E. Smith & E. E. Evans Masters of Space (2011) 220 Oh, no. Not again?.. Don't tell us it's Terra again, Dark Lady, please. 1973 Farm & Country 10 Apr. 11/4 ‘Don't tell me we've got to go through that again,’ said one executive member in an audible groan. 1989 I. Asimov Nemesis (1990) 94 You're not going to tell me she was a telepath. 2012 S. Townsend Woman who went to Bed for Year iv. 30 Don't tell me you've got religion, Eva. It always ends in tears. (b) colloquial. tell me (also us) another (one): used in response to a statement that is believed to be false or highly improbable, implying that the speaker is telling a lie or a joke. ΚΠ 1891 Sporting Times 7 Feb. Dook:..The place belongs to me. Sass: Belongs to you! Oh, scissors, don't say so! Tell us another, dear, before you go. Dook: I'll take my oath it does. 1911 Munsey's Mag. Dec. 361 ‘That's going some!’ Staff admitted admiringly. ‘Tell me another one.’ 1954 B. Frechtman & J. T. Nile tr. L.-F. Céline Guignol's Band 250 Do you mean to tell me that these people are going to win the war?.. Ah! tell me another! You're joking! 1991 A. Campbell Sidewinder xii. 148 ‘I've always looked on you as a friend—perhaps the only true friend I have.’‘Come off it,’ I snorted. ‘Tell me another one.’ 2008 Pittsburgh Tribune Rev. (Nexis) 25 Dec. It can be difficult to make dinner reservations over the phone... ‘When they hear “Fred Claus”, they say, “Oh sure. Yeah. Tell me another.”’ (c) colloquial (originally U.S.). you're telling me (also us): (expressing hearty agreement) there is no need to tell me; I know that only too well. Cf. tell me about it at Phrases 5a(g). ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > know [phrase] don't I know it1839 you're telling me (also us)1921 1921 Amer. Hebrew & Jewish Messenger 4 Feb. 366/2 ‘Rabbi Simon Rosen's son, the most learned scholar in all Minsk!’ ‘You're tellin' me, Mrs. Rosen!’ 1930 Alton (Illinois) Evening Tel. 28 July 4/4 She..remarked..: ‘This is a pretty dull party, isn't it?’ The other guest..looked up at Miss Carroll with infinite ennui and said: ‘You're telling me!’ 1935 Boys' Life May 13/3 ‘I don't think we'll wait down below to watch it till they come!’ ‘You're telling us!’ 1954 Times 16 July 9/4 When he declares that ‘overnutrition has its dangers’..the layman is inclined to reply ‘You're telling me.’ 1977 ‘C. Aird’ Parting Breath xvii. 194 ‘Forensic pathologists don't take chances.’ ‘You're telling me,’ said Crosby with audible scorn. 2006 R. Wilson Hidden Assassins vi. 58 ‘This is no cocktail party.’ ‘You're telling me,’ said Consuelo. (d) colloquial. that's telling me (also us): used in response to a candid, aggressive, or patronizing statement or action; ‘you've made your feelings very clear’, ‘that's put me straight’; ‘that's put me in my place’. Similarly that told me (also us). Also (chiefly British) that's me (also us) told. Cf. that's telling him (also her, etc.) at Phrases 5c. ΚΠ 1935 Sat. Rev. 27 July 929/2 Her motto is: ‘Eagles Don't breed Doves’. As Commander Madden grimly said to me, ‘That's telling us!’ 1937 M. Sims Call it Freedom vii. 108 'Somebody's going to wring your neck one of these days,' she said pleasantly. 'Meaning that you'd like to?' 'No. I need you too badly.' He laughed. 'That's telling me, anyhow.' 1976 M. Jordan Brigham's Way ii. 22 ‘Then we might find there isn't any gold worth bothering about.’ I tipped my hat back. ‘Well that's me told!’ 1984 C. Bedford Waiting for Beatles v. 290 ‘MDs like Derek should realize that the next money to be made is with the new groups, not old has-been prima donnas!’ Well, that told me. 2000 Sunday Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 30 Jan. (Seven Days section) 8/2 ‘It's [sc. chewing gum] like an adult dummy... It shows the creeping infantilism of American pop culture...’ That's us told. 2003 C. Poarch Courage under Fire 220 ‘I don't want to make a mistake and lose the best thing that has ever come into my life...’ ‘I guess that's telling me.’ (e) Originally U.S. now he (also she) tells me (also us): (as an ironic rejoinder) expressing frustration, annoyance, regret, etc., at receiving information which, had it been imparted sooner, would have been helpful but is now of little or no use. Also: sometimes implying that the information received is obvious and does not need to be said. Similarly now you tell me. ΚΠ 1947 Safety Dec. 240/2 Chorus: Now he tells me! Now he tells me! People wait until it's much too late. 1966 New Society 12 May 9/2 The idiom of the New Yorker..is..full of translated Yiddishisms (‘I should live so long’, ‘Who needs it?’..and ‘Now he tells me’.) 1976 Medicine Hat (Alberta) News 8 Mar. 12/1 Grafitti high on a wall said, ‘Smoking stops you growing’. Underneath, two feet from the ground, someone had added, ‘So now you tell me’. 1990 USA Today (Nexis) 24 Oct. 3 c ‘The red light goes on so we talk... We're not smarter than anybody else, we're just on TV.’ Oh great. Now, you tell us. 2009 S. James Murphy's Law: Series 1 xxv. 238 ‘Don't eat the buffalo wings though. I think they're bad.’ Chris immediately threw the wing he was gnawing on back on the plate. ‘Great. Now you tell me.’ (f) colloquial. you tell me (also us): used rhetorically to express (shared) inability to answer a complex or awkward question. ΚΠ 1956 W. Armstrong Mutiny Afloat xv. 199 ‘One ruddy quarter of our pay, an' for what reason?..’ ‘You tell us, mate. Your guess is as good as mine.’ 1976 A. K. Ramanujan tr. U. R. A. Murthy Samskara iii. ii. 108 In these times, who can spend two rupees for the bus so often, you tell me. 1982 P. Redmond Brookside (Mersey TV transmission script) (O.E.D. Archive) Episode 3. 17 Garner... So, you don't want to be here. You've already been given a bad time..from that point, where do we go? Lucy... You tell me. 1993 ‘J. le Carré’ Night Manager (1994) xix. 304 Daniel again interrupted: ‘How do you save the world?’ ‘You tell me, old heart,’ said Corkoran. ‘Dying to know.’ 2005 E. Barr Plan B (2006) xxxii. 344 Is it over? You tell me. Is it my baby? She says so, but she would, wouldn't she? (g) colloquial (originally U.S.). tell me about it: (as an ironic rejoinder, esp. expressing rueful agreement or understanding) ‘I'm well aware of that’, ‘I agree’; ‘you don't have to tell me’. ΚΠ 1976 J. Guest Ordinary People iii. 16 ‘It helps,’ Lazenby drawls, ‘if you read the crap when it's assigned... Just a friendly hint.’ ‘Tell me about it,’ Van Buren says. 1986 T. Clancy Red Storm Rising (1987) xxiv. 316 ‘There's just something weird about not having the friggin' sun go down.’ ‘Tell me about it.’ 1990 J. Francome Stone Cold 117 ‘Personally, I'd be happier watching television back in the hotel.’ ‘Hey, tell me about it. Can I give you a lift back there?’ 2002 New Yorker 8 Apr. 97/2 The real-estate agent says to Meg, in the ultimate sales pitch, ‘It's a very emotional property.’ Tell me about it. 2011 D. Kennedy Moment i. 3 ‘The old guy was very stubborn, very proud.’ ‘Tell me about it,’ I said. b. colloquial. With you. (a) (I, I'll, I will) tell you what. (i) Used to introduce (and give some emphasis to) an observation or comment: I will tell you something; I will tell you what is relevant or pertinent. Cf. what pron., adv., int., adj.1, conj., and n. Phrases 2c. ΚΠ ?1565 A. Hartwell in tr. W. Haddon Sight of Portugall Pearle Pref. sig. A5 As for Diuynitie, I wyll tell you what. it is so handled of .ii. men, in .ii. bookes, within these .ii. yeres, that better it had bene the gospel had neuer peped out. 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 i. i. 51 My lord, Ile tell you what, If my yong Lord your sonne, haue not the day [etc.] . View more context for this quotation 1661 A. Brome Songs & Other Poems 190 But I will tell you what; Either these slaves forswear, and lye, Or if they did so often dye, They've more lives then a cat. 1700 T. Brown Amusements Serious & Comical ix. 137 I'll tell you what; he's the Emptiest, Dullest, Shallowest Monster, within the Bills of Mortality. 1797 Two Cousins 12 I'll tell you what, Sarah, boys will be boys, do what we will, and it is not in their nature to like old people. 1826 Wilhelmina i. i. 6 As for my head's being turned, I tell you what, sir, there's nothing in it. 1876 Ld. Tennyson Harold i. ii. 25 I tell thee what, my child; Thou hast misread this merry dream of thine. 1909 W. R. George Junior Republic (1910) xiv. 304 Every one of them would vote against it and I'll tell you what, in a straight out and out fight, we wouldn't even get a look in with such a bill. 1973 M. Amis Rachel Papers 174 ‘Who was that tart you had round here before?’ ‘Gloria?’ ‘Yeah. Tell you what, she's got a right pair on her.’ 2008 Independent 13 Sept. (Traveller section) 13/5 I got this 1992 Adelsheim—I tell you what, it knocked my socks off. (ii) Used to introduce a suggestion or proposal: I will tell you what is to be done, what we might do, etc. ΚΠ 1732 W. Aston Restauration King Charles II iii. 54 I'll tell you what let us do; let's pull old Oliver out of his Grave, and fix his Head upon Westminster-hall.] 1753 C. Clive Rehearsal ii. 34 Oh, I'll tell you what; let's set Odelove upon her to enquire into the Plot of her Play. 1763 A. Murphy Citizen i. ii. 17 I like you—I like un master Philpot—I like un—I'll tell you what, let un talk to her now. 1825 T. Roscoe tr. F. Sacchetti in Ital. Novelists I. 217 The one said, ‘I will tell you what: let us go on to the next inn, and, perhaps, after a good dinner we shall remember them better.’ 1856 Dwight's Jrnl. Music 19 July 123/1 That beautiful cap... I tell you what, let me have the cap; I will give you four gulden for it. 1875 R. Browning Inn Album i. 13 The happy flash Followed... ‘'Tell you what—Let's turn their flank, try things on t' other side!’ 1915 W. S. Maugham Of Human Bondage xlix. 249 I tell you what, I'll try and come over to Paris again one of these days and I'll look you up. 1967 W. Soyinka Kongi's Harvest i. 39 Tell you what. You get all the leaders of the dissident groups to appear on the dais with me tomorrow. 1996 A. Ghosh Calcutta Chromosome (1997) ix. 57 ‘I'll tell you what, Ant,’ said Murugan... ‘I'll read you all three volumes some day when we're on an around-the-world cruise.’ 2005 D. Cowie Owen Noone & Marauder 15 I tell you what. Since you guys are spending so much today, I'll throw this in free. (b) Originally Irish English. I'm telling you: used to introduce (and give some emphasis to) an observation or comment; also used parenthetically. ΚΠ 1825 Universal Songster I. 255/2 ‘Och! don't be coming here..with your blarney about sending yourself what's not wanted at all,’ says I; ‘so you're out, I'm telling you!’ 1884 Pract. Phonographer May 195/2 It's a pair of canary birds in a gilt cage, and a fine thing all around I'm telling you. 1889 Rocky Mountain News (Denver) 1 July 3/7 I have had occasion to call on ‘my uncle’ in almost every large city in the country..and I'm telling you St. Louis is the hardest place I ever struck. 1903 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. May 682/1 ‘Corodale not here!’ ‘Not since Saturday was a fortnight, I'm telling you, unless he sunk over the head in the sand-drift at the door,’ said the innkeeper. 1950 E. L. Stewart Men should Weep i. i, in Sc. People's Theatre (Assoc. Scottish Lit. Studies) (2008) 58 If I've got tae cry on ye again, it'll be the worse for ye, I'm tellin ye. 1990 J. Eberts & T. Ilott My Indecision is Final xxiii. 239 Look, I'm telling you I'm really seriously interested. 2008 Total Politics Aug. 8/2 He beams across the table... ‘This guy's been very brave, I'm telling you,’ he says. (c) colloquial. what did I tell you?: used to convey the speaker's belief that his or her earlier assertion or prediction has been proved correct. ΚΠ 1833 J. Neal Down-easters I. v. 57 I'm of your opinion said he..—nothing can be more ridiculous than cutting a woman's throat in her sleep... Ah—ha! what did I tell you? cried the individual whose opinion he had so handsomely adopted. 1898 G. B. Shaw Man of Destiny in Plays: Pleasant & Unpleasant II. 322 Napoleon. There can be no doubt that the man who tricked you out of your charge was..her brother. Lieutenant. What did I tell you, General! What did I tell you! 1915 C. Drew & I. B. Evans Grafter 68 ‘The second horse don't count... He's..liable to turn it up any minute. What did I tell you,’ he cried, as the..horse fell back. 1987 F. Flagg Fried Green Tomatoes 357 That's her, all right. What did I tell you? The poor thing doesn't have a full string of fish. 2003 E. M. Doolittle Silver Lett. vi. 48 Anita shared the news with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ben who said, ‘What did I tell you, Anita? Always listen to your Uncle Ben.’ c. colloquial. that's telling him (also her, etc.): expressing support for or approval of a forceful statement that someone has made; ‘that's put him or her straight’; ‘that's right’. Similarly you tell him (also her, etc.). Cf. that's telling me (also us) at Phrases 5a(d). ΚΠ 1917 J. T. Foote Dumb-bell of Brookfield iii. 102 Peter took the telegram and read it carefully. He looked up with blazing eyes. 'That's tellin' 'em!' he said. 1941 J. Balch Lamps at High Noon v. 179 ‘If Parano's won't honor us, why we won't honor them.’ ‘That's telling them, friend.’ 1949 M. Lampell Hero vii. 140 ‘On the street I have to stop him from pinching the behinds of women.’ ‘Never mind the women,’ Manuel said, ‘the women do not complain.’ ‘You tell him, baby,’ Joey smiled. 1983 C. Luckham Trafford Tanzi i. in Plays by Women II. 81/2 ‘Girls don't fight, me Mam says so...’ ‘That's it, you tell her, Sue.’ 2004 S. Yocum Price of Admission xliii. 330 ‘Get in the truck, Mitch. My father's life is in danger and I don't plan to sit around here arguing...’ Sally punched the air with her fist. ‘You tell him girl!’ ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > hold in contempt [verb (transitive)] > disdain to do something disdainc1380 to tell scorn1477 contemn1510 to think (it) scornc1515 to take scorn1575 scorn1605 coya1616 1477 J. Pympe in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 417 The fawcon Which is a-lofte tellith scorne to loke a-down. 1529 J. Frith Pistle Christen Reader f. lv Now is he so far from honouringe of these powers, that he will tell skorne to admitte them to kisse his holye feate. 1566 W. Painter Palace of Pleasure I. xxix. f. 59v And yet I thinke, womens hartes would tell scorne to goe before. P7. to tell the clock: (a) to count the hours as shown by a clock; to tell the time; †(b) to pass the time idly (cf. tell-clock n. at tell- comb. form 1) (obsolete). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > inaction > idleness, lack of occupation or activity > be idle or unoccupied [verb (intransitive)] emptyeOE to tell the clock1527 idle1668 to kick one's heels1703 twirl1777 gammer1788 to twiddle one's thumbs, or fingers1846 to make (also do) kef1852 goof1932 doss1937 to sit on one's hands1939 to bugger about ——1946 to spin one's wheels1960 1527 L. Andrewe tr. H. Brunschwig Vertuose Boke Distyllacyon sig. b.iiiv/2 Than make fyre vnder it that it may droppe treatably as yf you wolde tell the clock [Ger. du zalen bist wie die glock]. 1565 J. Jewel Def. Apol. Churche Eng. (1611) 597 Emperours..sate by the Bishops and held their peace, and told the clocke. ?1623 O. Felltham Resolues 215 Like a condemned man, that knowes the date of his dayes, hee lyes telling the clocke, and counting the houre. 1678 S. Butler Hudibras: Third Pt. iii. iii. 227 [An] Old Dul Sot; wh'had told the Clock, For many years, at Bridewel-Dock. 1738 tr. S. Guazzo Art of Conversat. 14 They are fit for nothing, unless it be to tell the Clock [1586 count the clock], which they always think goes too slowly. 1752 Masquerade No. 1. 141 The joyful father, the deluded lady, and her blithful bridesmaids, all were ready, they told the clock impatiently, no bridegroom came. 1818 S. Woodworth Poems 166 Patrons, how anxious have you told the clock, Waiting impatient for your carrier's knock! 1899 E. Nesbit Treasure Seekers i. 9 H. O. is eight years old, but he cannot tell the clock yet. Oswald could tell the clock when he was six. 1927 M. McMillan Life R. McMillan 103 She loved every instrument that measures space or time; an instinct that..induced her to teach all the children to tell the clock early. 1939 G. Baldry Rabbit Skin Cap iii. 59 Mother tells me to content myself else she'd soon square me up, and starts to try and teach me to tell the clock. 2018 Eastbourne Herald (Nexis) 22 Oct. What excites me is that you will be able to tell the clock from all four angles. P8. to tell the world. a. To declare to everyone, to anyone who will listen, etc. ΘΚΠ society > communication > information > publishing or spreading abroad > publish or spread abroad [verb (intransitive)] to tell the world1555 to blaze one's arms1573 bruit1818 society > communication > information > announcing or proclaiming > announce or proclaim [verb (transitive)] > announce openly or assert emphatically to tell the world1555 renunciate1656 the mind > language > statement > refusal > [verb (transitive)] > decline to receive or accept > angrily to tell the world1555 to throw (thrust, fling, (etc.)) (something) in a person's face1597 1555 J. Ponet Apologie 148 Ye wold fynde some way to tell the world, that Oecolampadius, Capito, and Munster were munks or fryars and afterward maried men. a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) ii. iv. 153 Ile tell the world aloud What man thou art. View more context for this quotation 1679 L. Addison Life & Death Mahumed xvi. 84 This Heretique..was not asham'd to tell the World, That all he Preached was sent him immediately from Heaven. 1700 J. Flamsteed Let. 11 Dec. in Corr. (1997) II. 874 He that ownes what he received from another tells the world and will have it acknowledged that he is Just and acts honorably. 1781 W. Cowper Table Talk 38 And tell the world..That he, who died below and reigns above, Inspires the song, and that his name is love. 1830 Monthly Repos. Jan. 35 Captain G. has spoken out. He tells the world he deems it his duty to warn them against Smith. a1871 T. Carlyle in Coll. Lett. T. & J. W. Carlyle (1981) IX. 318 This I cd tell the world, you have not had, for 100 years, any Book that came more direct and flamingly sincere from the heart of a living man. 1956 ‘C. Blackstock’ Dewey Death viii. 169 She persistently told the world about her fiancé, her marriage problems, her piano playing. 1982 New Scientist 9 Sept. 705/1 People who sell electronic equipment for offices have been telling the world about a new kind of computer network. 2010 B. James I am Gold (2011) xxviii. 208 A solitaire [ring]..will tell the world that this is a relationship bound to continue. b. U.S. colloquial. I'll tell (also I'm telling) the world: used (esp. parenthetically) to emphasize the truth of a statement. ΚΠ 1917 in Camion Lett. Amer. College Men (1918) xx. 60 I'm telling the world I'm tired. 1918 Washington Post 10 Feb. 4/7 There's enough rubbish in the middle of the road to keep me from trying to go through there again, I'll tell the world! 1923 G. Emery in A. H. Quinn Contemp. Amer. Plays 252 Gee-z—it's a cold night, I'll tell the world. 1937 S. Gluck Delicate Case of Murder iv. 34 ‘When you pinched us, I'm telling the world we were—’ He stopped with his mouth open. 1998 M. Chamberlain in B. McFarland et al. Line of Cutting Women 10 I heard Gran call out across the house, ‘You tired?’ ‘Tired,’ he said. ‘I'll tell the world.’ P9. Scottish, English regional (northern), and Irish English (northern). to be telling: (with non-referential it, chiefly in conditional clauses) to be worth or as good as (so much) to; to be (so much) to the advantage or credit of (a person). Now rare. ΚΠ 1629 Orkney Witch Trial in County Folk-lore (1903) 3 79 Haid [she] lettin yow abid with your brother it haid bene telling hir xl.£. 1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 213 It were telling your Kin, your Craig was broken. a1732 T. Boston in Memoirs (1776) App. 1 If the gospel meet with no better entertainment after, than for these three years past, it would be telling many of you, that ye had never seen my face, nor I yours. 1822 A. Sutherland Cospatrick of Raymondsholm II. 8 It wad hae been telling some that are now safe frae skaith gin it had never been blither. 1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. at Tellin' It was tellin' him that he did as ye did. 1875 P. Ponder Kirkcumdoon 85 It wud be tellin' the pairish an' himsel' gin Josey gaed less aboot the Wallace Arms. 1889 H. Johnston Chron. Glenbuckie vii. 80 Weel, it's a gey spite I didna take your advice. It would have been telling me a ten-pound note. 1904 M. Bentinck-Smith in Eng. Dial. Dict. (1905) VI. 59/1 [Ulster] It would have been telling you to have been home an hour ago. 1905 S. R. Crockett Sir Toady Crusoe xxv. 194 It would be tellin' him if he told such-like seldomer, and bowed his head a deal more frequent. 1969 Huntly Express 21 Mar. 2 It's tellin' 'im he's young an' swack. 1996 C. I. Macafee Conc. Ulster Dict. 351/1 It's telling you, it will or would be telling you, it is or would be to your advantage. P10. colloquial. tell that to the marines and variants: used to express scornful disbelief. Later also tell that to the horse marines, to my Aunt Fanny, etc. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > disbelief, incredulity > expressing disbelief [phrase] do you mean to say (also to tell me)1763 you don't mean to say (also to tell me)1763 tell that to the marines1806 in a horn1847 you are (or have got to be) joking1907 tie that bull outside or to another ashcan1921 you could have fooled me1926 you wouldn't read about it1950 pull the other one (it's got bells on)1966 1806 J. Davis Post-Captain v. 29 He may tell that to the marines, but the sailors will not believe him. 1820 New Monthly Mag. Dec. 608/1 So also the able-bodied seamen, who think a certain part of their crew mere fruges consumere nati on board a ship, regularly consign all exaggerated narratives and incredible propositions to their ‘willing ears’, according to nostrum illud solenne, ‘You may tell that to the marines.’ 1824 W. Scott Redgauntlet II. xiii. 326 Tell that to the marines—the sailors won't believe it. 1844 Bankers' Mag. Nov. 96 The plain honest trader would..advise you, in secret, to ‘tell that to the Horse Marines’. 1864 A. Trollope Small House at Allington II. xi. 114 Is that a story to tell to such a man as me! You may tell it to the marines! 1890 E. D. E. N. Southworth For Woman's Love xxix. 400 Don't dare to talk such sentimental rubbish to me! You can't love him, can't you? Tell that to an idiot, not to me! 1902 J. Conrad in Blackwood's Mag. Dec. 802/2 ‘You shall get nothing from me, because I have nothing of mine to give away now.’ ‘Tell that to the marines!’ 1912 Commerc. Telegraphers' Jrnl. Mar. 104/2 The opening paragraph..states that his companies were never in better condition... Tell it to Sweeney! 1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xii. [Cyclops] 317 Well! says J. J. We have Edward the peacemaker now.—Tell that to a fool, says the citizen. There's a bloody sight more pox than pax about that boyo. 1928 J. P. McEvoy Show Girl xiii. 193 He..says it doesn't mean anything... You can tell that to my Aunt Fanny I says to him. 1936 Sandusky (Ohio) Reg. 7 Jan. 6/4 ‘My vote is not for sale,’ Schade answered. ‘Go tell that to the birds,’ was the comment of Hart. 1967 D. Francis Blood Sport xiv. 172 ‘When this is over you can sleep for a fortnight.’ ‘Yeah?’ he said sarcastically. ‘Tell it to the marines.’ 1988 N. Gavin Phantom from Past xiii. 66 ‘So why did you leave it then?’ ‘To come and live with Aunt Isobel...’ ‘Oh tell that to your grandmother.’ 2003 P. Lovesey House Sitter (2004) ix. 121 So the official line was that the murders of Emma Tysoe and Axel Summers were unrelated. Tell that to the marines, he thought. P11. Originally U.S. all told: when all are counted; in all, in total. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > wholeness > the whole or all > that is all or the whole [phrase] > in all or altogether by numbera1375 in numbera1375 in allc1380 first and lastc1390 all wholea1393 in companya1393 in sum1399 full and whole1402 in great1421 whole and somec1425 in (the) whole1432 one with another1436 in (the) hale1437 all in great1533 up and down1562 one and other1569 in (the) aggregate1644 all told1814 1814 Niles' Weekly Reg. 20 Aug. 427/2 Lieut. col. Hartes was in command at Eastport, with about eight hundred, all told. 1833 L. W. Bickley Zoe II. v. 46 ‘How many be they?’ demanded the Emir... ‘They are scarce three hundred, all told,’ replied the gasping soldier. 1855 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 24 Nov. 11/6 With the crew, officers, and seamen, [they] made the whole number on board about five hundred, all told. 1921 Atlanta Constit. 23 Jan. All told, the Tech floor leader racked up 8 field goals. 1962 T. Parker & R. Allerton Courage of his Convictions iv. i. 154 A one-er for the Guv'nor, and fifty each for me and George here... Two hundred all told. 2000 J. C. Wheeler Cosmic Catastrophes viii. 136 As much as 1 percent of the mass of the Galaxy may be in the form of neutron stars, about one billion of them all told. P12. U.S. regional (originally New England). do tell!: (as an exclamation of surprise) ‘is it possible?’, ‘you don't say so!’. In early use also do pray tell! ΚΠ 1815 D. Humphreys Yankey in Eng. 107 Du pry tel (exclamation probably from) do pray tell. 1823 J. F. Cooper Pioneers II. ix. 125 ‘Do tell!’ exclaimed Remarkable, a little aghast; ‘well, who ever heerd of a young woman's being called Miss?’ 1860 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (ed. 3) at Do The dairy-maid after hearing the story through, exclaimed, Do tell! 1883 C. F. Wilder Sister Ridnour's Sacrifice 138 ‘Come fur?’ ‘About eighty miles.’..‘Du tell!’ 1919 Rotarian Jan. 25/2 Do tell, says she. Did you do all that? My, wasn't that nice! 1979 C. MacLeod Luck runs Out (1981) i. 17 Do tell. Did she leave any children? 1998 C. Judd Texas Freedom ix. 74 ‘If I didn't tell you this almanac was coming, it's because I didn't know,’ Bush said. ‘I know nothing about it...’ ‘Do tell!’ Dedham exclaimed. ‘So this is as much a surprise to you as to me?’ P13. blood (also breeding, etc.) will tell: used proverbially to suggest that inborn or hereditary characteristics will ultimately reveal themselves or prevail. ΚΠ 1824 John Bull 5 Apr. 5/2 It is very much with men as it is with horses—blood will tell. 1847 Morning Post 20 Apr. 7/6 The enormous weight of this animal substantiates the adage ‘Breeding will tell’, as he possessed the grazing propensity and perfect symmetry of his far-famed sire. 1874 L. D. Whitson Brenda Merton in Gilbert St. Maurice 261 I have always thought..that birth will tell, and that the traits a child develops in early life will cling to them in all coming years. 1909 Pop. Sci. Nov. 461 We shake our heads over the wayward son, remembering that his father ‘sowed his wild oats’, and we observe ‘like father like son’, or ‘blood will tell’. 1975 Ebony Sept. 155/1 Newchurch does not believe that every foal of a star stallion will be a winner but says the odds are very good that breeding will tell. 2005 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 23 July 20 Oliver, born and raised in a workhouse,..not educated, yet sweet and pure and perfectly mannered. Blood will tell, of course, as Victorians liked to believe. P14. to tell the bees: to perform the custom of informing a hive of bees that their owner has died, the traditional belief being that if this is not done the bees will die, leave their hive, or stop producing honey.Outside Britain, the custom has been recorded in Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and the United States. ΚΠ 1842 C. M. Kirkland Forest Life II. xxxix. 203 If there's any body dies in the house, they'll all go away if you don't take no notice on 'em; but if you go and talk to 'em, and tell 'em that sich a one is dead (calling him by name), and hang a black cloth over the hive, and tell the bees if they'll stay you'll do well by 'em, why they'll stay and go to work peaceable.] 1866 Fraser's Mag. May 649/1 ‘Have ye told the bees?’ she continued; and she went out to perform that important ceremony. 1890 W. N. Guthrie Love Conquereth 136 They told the bees long since, yet you 're Still in this desolate place. 1896 Folk-lore 7 385 A farmer's wife..lost her husband in the summer of 1892, and in her grief and distress forgot to tell the bees. Some time after all the hives but one were found to be deserted. 1935 Brit. Bee Jrnl. 8 Aug. 372/1 A dismal day. Mother busy cutting and measuring black stuff. ‘What's that for, mother?’ I ask. ‘To put on the hives... We've got to “tell” the bees.’ 1949 ‘J. Nelson’ Backwoods Teacher 157 Behind us, a short, bitter voice said, ‘She's tellin' the bees.’ 2002 S. Rosenbaum Honey i. 19 In rural Britain, the custom of ‘telling the bees’ has persisted for centuries. P15. colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S.). to tell a person goodbye: to bid a person farewell. Similarly to tell a person hello, hi, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > courteous act or expression > use courteous actions or expressions to [verb (transitive)] > bid farewell to beteachc1314 bid farewella1400 teacha1400 to beteach one good dayc1400 to bid (also say) adieu (to)c1425 farewella1586 lenvoy1596 adieu1602 speed1726 to tell a person goodbye1853 sayonara1883 1853 N.Y. Observer & Chron. 7 July 212/1 She took the little boy by the hand to tell him good bye. 1869 A. J. Evans Vashti vii. 89 ‘Did Ulpian tell you good-by?’ ‘No, I have not seen him.’ 1905 B. Tarkington In Arena 253 She told me to tell you good-bye. 1929 L. Hughes Let. 8 May in L. Hughes & C. Van Vechten Remember me to Harlem (2001) 65 Tell Fania Hello for me and both you all enjoy yo' selves to de utt'most. 1979 L. Meynell Hooky & Villainous Chauffeur viii. 111 Mr Furlong asked me to tell you goodbye. 1988 J. Ellroy Big Nowhere ix. 90 Tell Lucy hi for me. 2011 C. Cassidy Cowboy's Triplet Trouble x. 175 The triplets had been fed, the car had been loaded and there was nothing left to do except tell her goodbye. P16. colloquial (originally U.S.). to tell it like it is: to give a full and truthful account of a matter irrespective of how unwelcome or unpalatable this may be; to be unsparingly candid or frank.Earliest in African-American usage. ΚΠ 1899 Iowa State Bystander 9 June I must give the colored people of Des Moines..the right understanding about the Jim crow car. Of course some one will differ with me, but I must tell it like it is even if it is in the south. 1905 Lockhart (Texas) Weekly Post 3 Aug. Let the farmer tell it like it is,..and instead of shrewd manipulators making the size of the crop, the people of the South, the farmer and merchant..will give to the world an honest estimate. 1943 W. Guthrie Bound for Glory xiii. 265 You'll get a feed..if you're honest, willing to work for it, and ain't afraid to tell it just like it is. 1965 New Statesman 1 Oct. 473/1 Although sometimes tardy, all his speeches make their intended points; as they say in Harlem, he tells it like it is. 1971 Financial Times 11 Nov. 17/3 If you are thinking of starting your own agency three people who can tell it like it is (and was) are Ronnie Kirkwood, Martin Boase and Richard French. 2003 Out Feb. 12/1 It was the first time I saw a smart, funny, ‘out there’ queer girl telling it like it is. P17. colloquial. (I) tell (also am telling) a lie: I am mistaken (esp. as an introduction to a corrected restatement of what has just been said). Cf. I'm a liar at liar n. a. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > lack of truth, falsity > mistake [phrase] > by myself (I) tell (also am telling) a lie1910 I'm a liar1940 1910 Eng. Rev. Mar. 631 The news was brought to me ten minutes..no, I tell a lie!..twelve minutes and a half ago. 1925 S. O'Casey Shadow of Gunman ii, in Two Plays 172 Adolphus..after takin' his tea at six o'clock—no, I'm tellin' a lie—it was before six, for I remember the Angelus was ringin' out. 1968 L. Deighton Only when I Larf vii. 89 Six Centurion Mark Fives on that hillock... No tell a lie, one of them is a Mark Two. 1985 B. Unsworth Stone Virgin 141 It is broken... No, as you were, I tell a lie, it's fractured. 2007 A. P. Meade Ghost of Chance xv. 134 ‘Did he mention why he needed to be at the fair?’ ‘No, I don't think—oh wait, I tell a lie. Yes, he did.’ P18. colloquial. In various phrases expressing contemptuous dismissal or emphatic rejection.In each case apparently originating in euphemistic avoidance of a more emphatic or explicit expression. a. to tell (a person) where to go.Originally with implied reference to ‘to tell a person to go to hell’ or similar. ΚΠ 1918 Daily Twin Falls (Idaho) Times 18 July 2/2 The farmer..told them ‘where to go’ for their wages. The men left, unpaid. 1946 K. Tennant Lost Haven (1947) ii. 37 For two pins I'd tell him where to go. 1992 Independent 20 Jan. 13/4 Nowadays if you said to a child, ‘You're being a bit noisy with that knife and fork,’ they'd tell you where to go. 2005 FHM Jan. 104/1 I've been asked back by quite a few footballers. I've told them where to go. b. to tell (a person) what to do with (something); similarly to tell (a person) where to put (something), etc.Originally as an alternative to ‘to tell a person to stick it up his arse’ or similar. ΚΠ 1937 D. Fuchs Low Company ii. 108 Listen, I could tell you what you can do with your boy friend, only I'm a gentleman for the moment. 1946 M. Shulman Zebra Derby (1947) xxi. 133 Green, an upholsterer, said that he was through with upholstering and had told his old boss what to do with his old job. 1958 M. Dickens Man Overboard xii. 176 He had been going to tell Glenn what he could do with his job. 1968 M. Bragg Without City Wall ii. xxi. 207 You could tell the people at the hall what to do with that job of theirs. She'd had enough of being a servant. 1977 Listener 14 Apr. 483/2 Protestations that if the government did any such thing, the BBC would probably tell it where to stuff such an instruction. 2007 Esquire Nov. 132/3 If a restaurant tells you that they will need the table back at a certain time, tell them where to stick it. This evil trend needs to be quashed. P19. tell it not in Gath: see Gath n. to tell (someone) where he or she gets off: see to get off 6b at get v. Phrasal verbs 1. to tell (a person) his (her, etc.) own: see own pron. 5. to tell a story: see story n. 3e. < as lemmas |
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英语词典包含1132095条英英释义在线翻译词条，基本涵盖了全部常用单词的英英翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。