APAD: Tell it to the marines

Meaning: I don't believe you. Generally used in response to a story that seems farfetched.

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Living in the US, I automatically connected the 'marines' with the U.S. Marine

Corps. and the saying was not clear.

 

It turned out that the proverb appeared well before the U.S. came onto the scene

as an offshoot of a long line of naval powers: the Romans, Venice, Spain, and

the British Empire. According to my source, the early Brit sailors who invented

the expression had a low opinion of the marines stationed on their vessels.

所有跟帖： 

• Is it the temperate saying of go to hell? -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 10:12:42

• It could be, I guess :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 10:16:48

• Tell it to the marines -Zhuzitaba- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 13:03:40

• tell it to the chemists -Zhuzitaba- ♂ (284 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 13:05:30

• Sure. The more people you tell, the more it is believed :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 14:23:24

• 多謝分享。占位點讚，回頭細看。：） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 13:11:14

• 問一下： Don't tell it to the marines 啥意思？ ：）：）：） -Zhuzitaba- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 13:13:52

• A brain twister or a beginner's mistake. It depends :-) -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 14:22:30

• Why such a connection ? -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 16:08:45

• A native speaker is likely to correct an ESL for saying it. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 16:42:49

• Or the listener is likely stumped and it's a waste of time. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 16:47:01

• What the recruiter said to the gay enlisted man. : ) -waterfowl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 14:42:03

• Don't ask. Don't tell. -7grizzly- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 14:46:45

• : ) -waterfowl- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 14:52:53

• send it to the airforce -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 15:44:23

• 噗。。 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 18:10:56

• 第一次聽說這種表達。學習了。 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 10/16/2023 postreply 18:06:12