can’t take telling

[ClulessChris]

I was brought up in South Wales and often heard the term ‘You can’t take telling” (said to somebody unreceptive to constructive criticism). I was wondering is this a local ‘saying’ or world wide?

Everybody body is somebodys Nutter.

 

[KenCunningham]

I'm from Yorkshire and the version there is 'Can't take a telling'. I guess it's pretty much the same thing.

 

[AngelB]

I was also brought up in South Wales and I've heard this everywhere I've lived (Cardiff, Maesteg, Bridgend and Neath). I've not come across it anywhere else though.

Gez

 

[tsdragon]

I've never heard it used in the US, but I like it. It's very concise and descriptive.

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[LFI]

I grew up in the eastern United States and I've never heard that phrase. Juveniles like to say "you can dish it out, but you can't take it!" but as we 'mature,' we just resort to talking about people behind their backs!

"Telling," to me, makes me think of "tattling" as in being a tattle-tale or basically alerting a higher-authority of someone else's wrong-doing for the purpose of getting the wrong-doer in trouble.

On the other hand, an author of parenting books I heard speak one time made a nice distinction between 'Telling' and 'Tattling' as: "'Telling' will get someone OUT of trouble; 'Tattling' will get someone INTO trouble." I've used this when talking to kids and they seem to respond to it. Still, when I was young(er), we used to always say/hear, threateningly, "I'm going to tell on you!", so it still reminds me of tattling.

If I hadn't just said everything I had to say on the topic, I might have strated a thread on this!

...but the next time I talk to my one friend in London, I'll try to drop "can't take telling" it into the conversation!

--Dave

--Dave

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[flapeyre]

Since the film "A Few Good Men" came out, it's been:

<Jack_Nicholson>
You can't handle the truth!
</Jack_Nicholson>

Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni!

 

[SilentAiche]

A rural Southern (U.S.) approximation of the phrase:

[blue]"Can't nobody tell you nothin'."[/blue]

Tim

[blue]______________________________________________________________
I love logging onto Tek-Tips. It's always so exciting to see what the hell I
said yesterday. [/blue]

 

[tsdragon]

Neither of which is as concise as "can't take telling". I'm liking the expression more and more.

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[jebenson]

flapeyre,

I also like Sideshow Bob's (from The Simpsons take on that line:

You want the truth! You can't handle the truth! No truth handler you! Bah! I deride your truth handling abilities!



I used to rock and roll every night and party every day. Then it was every other day. Now I'm lucky if I can find 30 minutes a week in which to get funky. - Homer Simpson

 

[flapeyre]

Here is a funny sendup on "A Few Good Men".

Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni!

 

[jsaxe]

And then there's this old favorite, using my own name for an example, although I'm sure it doesn't apply:

"You can always tell a Saxe, but you can't tell him much"

jsaxe

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson (R.I.P. Doc)

 

[tsdragon]

My Dad's version of that one is: "You can tell a Dryden a mile away, but you can't tell him a damn thing."


Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.