2/13/2024 0 Comments Songs with phrase tell me why![]() ![]() ![]() Tone of voice is pretty critical here, because the difference between a sympathetic statement and an insulting one is simply a different inflection while saying the exact same words. That difference is simply the connotations those expressions have taken on over time. There's little in the words themselves to indicate that difference. The difference between these two expressions however is that, "Tell me about it", has taken on a sympathetic tone over the years, indicating shared misery, whereas, "You don't say?", is an insult where you don't actually care what the person has to say. Its meaning is similar to the expression, "You don't say?", where the speaker is acting like they don't already know, when in fact they do. That the speaker is already familiar with the situation. However it is rarely (these days never) meant literally, and is used sarcastically to mean the opposite. Taken literally the sentence would mean the speaker isn't already familiar with the situation and wants more information. Where did it originate, and how did it get its unusual meaning? For non-native speakers, it can be very confusing! You could argue that the person is being sarcastic when they say it: "Tell me about it - as if I don't already know!", but it's usually said in a sympathetic tone, not a deriding one. Can you believe that?"Įmployee 2: (holding up a similar letter) "Tell me about it."įor such a simple and straightforward phrase, I'm confused as to how it morphed into meaning something else. ![]() Which is the very opposite of what you've said.Įmployee 1: (reading a letter from management) "It says I'm being laid off. Not only are you not literally inviting the person to go into more detail, but (most confusingly) you're actually kind of suggesting that they don't need to tell you any more. Why does "tell me about" actually mean, "I understand what you're talking about as I have experienced it myself". A commonly used American phrase, but one that still baffles me if I stop and think about it. ![]()
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