to tell tales out of school
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To utter abroad affairs not meant for the public ear.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to tell tales out of school” mean?
To utter abroad affairs not meant for the public ear.
Is “to tell tales out of school” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.