tell it to the marines en · X
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Unknown, with many apocryphal suggestions.
Meanings
-
(colloquial, idiomatic) I do not believe what you said.
I don’t believe the story you have been telling me, either, and think it far more likely that you are hiding from justice on account of some devil’s work you have been engaged in. Bah! Tell your story to the marines!
1868 February, Caroline M. Sawyer, “The Jester of Durano; Or, The Times of Old”, in The Ladies’ Repository, a Universalist Monthly Magazine for the Home Circle, volume XXXIX, Boston, Mass.: The Universalist Publishing House, page 128:William. No palaver! tell it to the marines. What, tacking and double tacking! Come to what you want to say at once.
1829, Douglas Jerrold, Act I, Scene ?:
Relateds
pull the other one, it's got bells on · horse marine
Synonyms
tell it to the judge · tell it to Sweeney
Translations (17)
fi puhu pukille (expression of disbelief) · tr külahıma anlat (expression of disbelief) · ru ври́ бо́льше (expression of disbelief) · ru мели, Емеля (expression of disbelief) · it dillo a qualcun altro (expression of disbelief) · vi nói cho ma nó nghe (expression of disbelief) · nl maak dat de kat wijs (expression of disbelief) · it raccontalo a qualcun altro (expression of disbelief) · es a otro perro con ese hueso (expression of disbelief) · hu hiszi a piszi (expression of disbelief) · gl a outro can con ese óso (expression of disbelief) · gl cóntalle iso á túa avoa (expression of disbelief) · nb den må du lenger ut på landet med (expression of disbelief) · cmn 鬼才信呢 (expression of disbelief) · ru расскажи́ э́то свое́й ба́бушке (expression of disbelief) · ru расскажи́ э́то кому́-нибу́дь друго́му (expression of disbelief) · ru мели, Емеля, твоя неделя (expression of disbelief)