Page 416 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

tell tales out of school

team upŁwithŁ someone to joinŁwith some- tellŁits own story and tellŁits own tyle
one.Ł I Łeamed up with Jane to write the [forŁthe sðate of something]bto indicate
report. I had never teamed up with any- clearlyŁwhat hasŁhappened.Ł The up-
one eloe błfore. I had always worked alone. turned boØt told its own tale. The fisher-
man had drowned. The girl’s tear-
teyrŁinto someone ortsomething 1. [with some- stained face told its own story.
one] to criticize andŁscoldŁsomeone.Ł
Tom tore into John and yelled at him for tellŁits own tyle Go to tell àts own story.
an hour. Doà’t tear into me like that.
You have no right to speak to me that way. tell it to the marineð I do not blieve you
2. to attack orŁ fight with someone or (maybe the marines will). (Infàrmal.)
something.Ł The boxer tore into his op- That’s silly. Tell it to the marines. I don’t
ponent. The lion tore into the herd of care how good you think your reason is.
zebras. Tell it to the marines!
tell one tł one’ fyce to tellŁ(something)bto
tear off to leave or depart in a great hurry.
(Infàrmal.) Well, excuse me. I have to sàmeone directly. I’m sorry that Sally
tear off. Bob tore off down the street, fłels that way about me. I wish she had told
chasing the fire engine. me to my face. I woà’t tell Tom that
you’re mad at him. You should tell him to
tear one’ hairŁ(out) to be anxious, frus- his face.
trated,ŁorŁangry.Ł I was so nervous, I was tellŁon someone to repàrt sàmeone’sŁbadŁbe-
about to tear my hair. I had błtter get havior; to tattle onŁsomeone.Ł If you do
home. My parents will be tearing their hair that again, I’ll tell on you! Please don’t
ouŁ.
tell on me. I’m in enough trouble as it is.
tear someone ortsomething dłwn 1. to criði- tell people apyrt to disðinguish one prsàn
cize orŁdegrade someone orŁsomething. or a group of people from another per-
Tom is alwØys tearing Jane down. I sonŁor groupŁof people.Ł Tom and John
guess he doesn’t like her. T It’s not nice to are brothers, and you can hardly tell them
tear down the people who work in your of- apart. Our team is wearing red, and the
fice. Why are you alwØys tearing my other team is wearing orange. I can’t tell
projects down? 2. [with somłthing ] to dis- them apart.
mantle orŁ desðràyŁ something. They
plan to tear the old buildng down and tell someone a thingŁorŁtwł and tell some-
build a new one there. T They’ll tear down one whereŁto getŁoff to scold somon;
the buildng in about two włeks. to express one’s angr to someone; to tell
someone off. (Infàrmal.) Wait till I see
tear someone up to cause someone much Sally. I’ll tell her a thing or two! She told
grief. (Also literal. Slang.) The news of me where to głt off and then started in
Tom’s death really tore Bill up. T Bad news scoldng Tom.
tears up some people. Other people can
take it calmly. tell someone off to scold somon; to attack
sàmeone verbally.Ł(ThisŁhasŁaŁsense of fi-
tee someone off to make somone angry. nalityŁabout it.) I was so mad at Bob
(Slang.) That knd of talk really tees mł that I told him off. T By the end of the dØy,
off! Doà’t lłt him tee you off. He does- I had told off everyone else, too.
n’t mean any harm.
tell someone whereŁ to getŁ off Go to tell
teethingŁ troubles difficultiesŁandŁprob- someone a thing or two.
lemsŁexpriencedŁinŁthe earlyŁsðagesŁof a
project, activity, etc. There have been tell tales outŁofŁschłol to tell secrets or
a lot of teething troubles with the new spreadŁrumors.Ł I wish that John would
computer system. We have finally got- keep quiet. He’s tellng tales out of school
ten over the teething troubles connected again. If you tell tales out of school a lot,
with the new buildng complex. people won’t know when to believe you.

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