tellˈtale noun

1. A person who reports the private concerns or misdeeds of others
2. A tattler (bird)
3. Anything revealing or betraying
4. Any of several indicators or monitors
5. A recording clock
6. A strip of material outside the playing area at the foot of the front wall of a squash court, which makes a distinctive sound when hit
7. One of the lengths of wool sewn or tied on a yacht's sail to indicate airflow (nautical)

adjective

1. Blabbing
2. Revealing, betraying
3. Indicating

as far as one can tell

Judging from information available so far

I tell you or I'm telling you

I assure you, I insist

take a telling

To do as one is asked without having to be told again

tell apart

To distinguish between

tell a tale

To be revealing

tell me about it! (informal)

I know exactly what you mean

tell me another (informal)

Used to express disbelief

tell off

1. To reprimand (informal)
2. To count off and detach on some special duty

tell on (informal)

To betray, inform on or give away secrets about

tell the time

To read the time on a clock or watch

there's no telling

One cannot possibly know or predict

you're telling me ( interjection ; informal)

I know that only too well

tale /tāl/

1. A narrative, story
2. An act of telling
3. A false story
4. A mere story
5. (in pl) things told idly or to get others into trouble
6. Number, total (archaic)
7. Reckoning (archaic)
8. Discourse, talk (obsolete)

taleˈful adjective

Full of stories

taleˈbearer noun

Someone who gossips idly or maliciously passes on (esp discreditable) information about others, esp to someone in authority

taleˈbearing noun and adjective

taleˈ-teller noun

1. A teller of stories, narrator
2. A talebearer

taleˈ-telling noun

be in a (or one) tale (archaic)

To be in full agreement

old wives' tale

1. A superstitious or misleading story, explanation or precept
2. Any extraordinary tale that makes demands on one's credulity

tell a tale

To disclose something important

tell one's (or its) own tale

To speak for oneself or itself

tell tales

To gossip or pass on (discreditable) information about others, to be a talebearer

tell tales out of school

To reveal confidential matters