tat·tle·tale

(tăt′l-tāl′)

One who tattles on others; an informer or talebearer.

adj.

Revealing; telltale.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tattletale

(ˈtætəlˌteɪl)

1. a scandalmonger or gossip

2. another word for telltale¹

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tat•tle•tale

(ˈtæt lˌteɪl)

n.

1. a talebearer or informer, esp. among children.

adj.

2. telltale; revealing: tattletale crumbs.

[1885–90]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

tattletale - someone who gossips indiscreetly

blabbermouth, talebearer, taleteller, tattler, telltale

gossiper, gossipmonger, newsmonger, rumormonger, rumourmonger, gossip - a person given to gossiping and divulging personal information about others

tattletale

noun

1. A person habitually engaged in idle talk about others:

blab, gossip, gossiper, gossipmonger, newsmonger, rumormonger, scandalmonger, tabby, talebearer, taleteller, tattle, tattler, telltale, whisperer.

Slang: yenta.

2. One who gives incriminating information about others:

informant, informer, tattler.

Informal: rat, tipster.

Slang: fink, snitch, snitcher, squealer, stoolie, stool pigeon.

Translations

Quasselstrippe RatscheRatschkathl

cafteur

ябеда

tattletale

[ˈtætlteɪl] N (US) (= person) → soplón/ona m/f, acusica mf (Sp) ; (= talk) → cotilleo m, chismes mpl y cuentos mpl

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

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References in periodicals archive

However, they know a huge tattletale to a failing leader is one who chooses to be alone.

3 Leadership Habits That Might Be Killing Your Business

Widespread personal devices: The ubiquity of personal devices has the potential to turn nearly every passerby into a citizen reporter or bothersome tattletale. Police departments, in particular, have experienced reputational damage because of videos and photos captured on personal devices, including their own body cameras.

The growth of reputational risk on social media

Advanced elementary to middle grade readers receive a vivid tale of an "ugly" tuna who is an orphan surrounded by mean relatives (a marine Cinderella), who faces relatives who display their own inner and outer ugliness (Yolanda, for example, is an older tuna who is a "high-spirited, loud mouth, tattletale"), but who somehow manages to make the connections denied to Harpoona.

Harpoona, The Diary Of An Ugly Tuna

tattletale) after Trent and others were fired; (2) his car was booted in the company parking lot; (3) he was referred to counseling; (4) he was required to undergo a security clearance review; and (5) he was temporarily transferred to another building.

WDVA: Despite firing harasser, employer could be liable

Do employees feel this is a "tattletale" program where they are being asked to "police" the safety behavior of their co-workers?

Safety: Only When Employees Feel Supported Will They Step Up and Say or Do Something if They Observe an Unsafe Situation or Behavior

This moral inhibition is further exacerbated by the social stigma associated with being labeled a "whistleblower," "tattletale," "rat," "turncoat," "squealer" or "snitch." And, even those who might be inclined to blow the whistle may choose not to do so out of fear of retaliation.

Take affirmative steps to break the snitch barrier'

Chase is safe for now, but beware: Things never go well for the tattletale of the house.

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Melvin might be a mechanical genius and a super inventor, but he is a tattletale who takes special delight in ratting out George and Harold as well.

Brief Encounters: MISCHIEF AND MALICE IN CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS: THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE: The first movie adaptation of the wildly popular children's book series is as zany as its title promises, with all the pranks, shrink rays and marauding toilets a primary schooler could ever hope for. Yet, amid all the silliness, CAROLYN LESLIE finds that the film can also enable more serious discussions about bullying, authority and friendship

An example of a scenario is as follows: "You are on patrol duty and you turn in three kids." The response options are: a) "I'd worry about what would happen to them" (guilt); b) "I'd think 'I'm a tattletale'" (shame); d) "I would feel good about myself" (hubristic pride); e) "I would feel I did a good job" (authentic pride).

Moral emotions associated with prosocial and antisocial behavior in school-aged children

Many said that they didn't want to seem like a tattletale or that it wasn't their business if someone else was cheating.

CHEATING THE SYSTEM: THIS YEAR, DURING FINALS, THOUSANDS OF GIRLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WILL CHEAT. HERE'S WHAT'S MAKING STUDENTS SO DISHONEST--AND WHY NO GRADE IS WORTH CHEATING FOR

Obviously, the tattletale spoke the undeniable and inconvenient truth.

Ignoring the Constitution: Duterte only following in SC's footsteps

Other students think Elsie is a whiny tattletale who lies and steals.

Hahn, Mary Downing. One for Sorrow