tell tales out of school

present singular third person tells tales out of school · participle present telling tales out of school · participle past told tales out of school · past told tales out of school · alternative talk out of school

1. idiomaticTo reveal confidential or sensitive information; to gossip.

   "Don't blush, Katherine, I am sure Mr. Willoughby won't tell any tales out of school to your old Valleyfield friends."

   1907, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Shorty Stories: 1907 to 1908, published 2008, A Millionaire's Proposal

   5 more examples

   I see then we have both been at school. But did you never, when you were there, hear it said, "Tell no tales out of school?"

   1831 April 27, “Court of Aldermen”, in The Times, page 4

   Mr. Washington had seen the gentlemen of honour and fashion over their cups, and perhaps thought that all their sayings and doings were not precisely such as would tend to instruct or edify a young man on his entrance into life; but he wisely chose to tell no tales out of school.

   1857, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 8, in The Virginians

   [T]he boys laughed and nudged one another, for it was evident that some one told tales out of school, else how could he know of the existence of these inconvenient treasures.

   1871, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 11, in Little Men

   "But now maybe I'm telling tales out of school," he added, with a laugh. "I shouldn't like to get the little girl into trouble."

   1884, Martha Finley, chapter 9, in Elsie at Nantucket

   "He wound up in the emergency room three different times, twice in Connecticut and once down here. The first two were drug ODs. I'm not telling tales out of school, because all that's been reported—exhaustively—in the press."

   1997, Stephen King, Desperation, →ISBN, page 94

   Synonyms: blab, gossip, squeal, talk out of turn