tell it to the marines
I do not believe what you said.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You expect me to believe that? Tell it to the marines.”
“He claimed he was late because of a parade, but I told him to tell it to the marines.”
“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.”
Unknown, with many apocryphal suggestions.
- 01
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