ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tell it to the marines

idiom
Meaning

I do not believe what you said.

Origin

disputed origin

Unknown, with many apocryphal suggestions.

Examples
SIMPLE

You expect me to believe that? Tell it to the marines.

CONTEXTUAL

He claimed he was late because of a parade, but I told him to tell it to the marines.

COMPLEX

When the politician insisted that the budget cuts were for the public good, the skeptical crowd shouted for him to tell it to the marines.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a little bird told me

    I received the information from a source which I am not prepared to disclose.

  2. 02

    all told

    With everything included, counted, or summed; in total.

  3. 03

    don't tell me

    Used to introduce a guess at a fact or situation, as if forestalling the other speaker's utterance.

  4. 04

    I can tell you

    Emphasises the truth of a statement.

  5. 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.

  6. 06

    I tell you

    Synonym of I can tell you.

  7. 07

    I'll tell you

    Synonym of I can tell you.

  8. 08

    kiss and tell

    To betray a confidence by disclosing private information, especially of a sexual nature.

Last updated April 17, 2026