tell tales
To lie, to be making false claims.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Stop telling tales about what happened at school.”
“The teacher warned the students that telling tales would only lead to more trouble for everyone involved.”
“Despite his reputation for integrity, he was eventually caught telling tales to cover up his professional mistakes.”
- 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
cautionary tale
A story, originally told in folklore, to warn its audience of a certain danger.
- 04
don't tell me
Used to introduce a guess at a fact or situation, as if forestalling the other speaker's utterance.
- 05
I can tell you
Emphasises the truth of a statement.
- 06
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.
- 07
I tell you
Synonym of I can tell you.
- 08
I'll tell you
Synonym of I can tell you.
Last updated August 10, 2026