live to tell the tale

present singular third person lives to tell the tale · participle present living to tell the tale · participle past lived to tell the tale · past lived to tell the tale

1. idiomaticinformalliteraryTo survive some difficulty, illness, etc.

   Living with gun violence can desensitize you. Humor was our coping mechanism, designed to keep complex emotions at bay. I’m ashamed to say that I made fun of family members who were shot and lived to tell the tale.

   2019 August 25, Lisa Page, “My Family’s Gun Wounds: A Tale in Three Acts”, in The Atlantic

   Synonyms: survive to tell the tale