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Knoriko Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary

don't tell a soul

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I'm reading a novel and one character often says "Please don't tell a soul that...." Can anyone tell me what this means?
  

Top answer

Hi, In this idiomatic phrase, 'a soul' here refers to a person. Don't tell anyone Such references today are not common, and sound a bit poetic. Best wishes, Clive

— Clive

  • Hi, In this idiomatic phrase, 'a soul' here refers to a person.
  • Don't tell anyone Such references today are not common, and sound a bit poetic.
  • Best wishes, Clive
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6 Answers
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Hi,

In this idiomatic phrase, 'a soul' here refers to a person. Don't tell anyone

Such references today are not common, and sound a bit poetic.

Best wishes, Clive
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This book I'm reading is about modern NYC girls, but this character is raised in England. Maybe that's why she uses the phrase all the time??

Anyway thanx for replying, Clive!
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Yah,''please don't tell a soul" is an idiom

which means dont tell ANY body,ie keep it

to your self,and which is not a command.
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KnorikoThis book I'm reading is about modern NYC girls, but this character is raised in England. Maybe that's why she uses the phrase all the time??

Anyway thanx for replying, Clive!

Yes, you do still hear it in ordinary Britis
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Hi,

When you think about it, it's interesting to compare don't tell anybodyand don't tell a soul . It's the corporeal versus the non-corporeal.

Clive
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Yeah, to me, 'don't tell a soul' adds a sense of gravity [revelation would have grave consequences] to the secret.
Commonly used in Australia.
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