Learn English – Why does “tell me about it” not mean “tell me about it”

idiomsmeaningphrasessyllepsis

A commonly used American phrase, but one that still baffles me if I stop and think about it. Why does "tell me about" actually mean, "I understand what you're talking about as I have experienced it myself". 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. Which is the very opposite of what you've said.

For example:

Employee 1: (reading a letter from management) "It says I'm being laid off. Can you believe that?"
Employee 2: (holding up a similar letter) "Tell me about it."

For such a simple and straightforward phrase, I'm confused as to how it morphed into meaning something else. 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.

Where did it originate, and how did it get its unusual meaning? For non-native speakers, it can be very confusing!

Best Answer

It's a sarcastic response.

Taken literally the sentence would mean the speaker isn't already familiar with the situation and wants more information. However it is rarely (these days never) meant literally, and is used sarcastically to mean the opposite. I.e. That the speaker is already familiar with the situation. 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.

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.

There's little in the words themselves to indicate that difference. That difference is simply the connotations those expressions have taken on over time. 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.