tell it to Sweeney
I do not believe what you said.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You think I believe that? Tell it to Sweeney.”
“She says she won the lottery, but you should tell it to Sweeney.”
“He claimed he was late because of a parade, but I told him to tell it to Sweeney.”
“My brother said he finished all his chores in five minutes, but I just told him to tell it to Sweeney.”
“If your boss promises a huge bonus after such a bad year, you can tell it to Sweeney because it is not happening.”
“When the politician insisted that the missing funds were merely a clerical error, the skeptical public effectively told it to Sweeney.”
first recorded 20th c.
"Tell it to Sweeney! (The Stuyvesants will understand.)” was an advertisement for the New York (NY) Daily News, first appearing in August 1922. The Daily News positioned itself as the newspaper of the average working man—such as the Irish “Sweeney.” The name “Stuyvesant” was used to represent blue bloods. Thus, if you advertise in the Daily News and reach the Sweeneys of New York City, the Stuyvesants will also get the message.
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a little bird told me
I received the information from a source which I am not prepared to disclose.
- 02
all told
With everything included, counted, or summed; in total.
- 03
don't tell me
Used to introduce a guess at a fact or situation, as if forestalling the other speaker's utterance.
- 04
I can tell you
Emphasises the truth of a statement.
- 05
I tell a lie
I am mistaken; I thought that what I said (or wrote) was true, but I have just realised that it is not.
- 06
I tell you
Synonym of I can tell you.
- 07
I'll tell you
Synonym of I can tell you.
- 08
kiss and tell
To betray a confidence by disclosing private information, especially of a sexual nature.
Last updated August 10, 2026