Fred and Betty: Is this the End?
Episode 3: How Betty Knows

Betty: I know all about your other lady Fred! Your friend Martin told on you!




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TELL ON

Meaning: if you tell on somebody, you give information about someone, usually about something bad that they have said or done, to a person in authority (like a teacher, boss or parent), knowing that this will probably result in punishment.

Grammar: This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb from its particle.

He told on his sister - RIGHT
He told on her - RIGHT

He told her on - WRONG
He told his sister on - WRONG

Example sentence: When I was a child I used to steal apples from the tree in the neighbour's garden but my brother told on me and my father grounded me for a month.
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Synonyms: inform (on), grass (on), sneak (on)
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