(Do) you mean to tell me (that) (something is the case)?

(Do) you mean to tell me (that) (something is the case)?

Used to elaborate upon something bad that someone else has said and that one finds hard to believe. A: "We'll need another cash infusion before we're able to resume work on the project." B: "Hold on, you mean to tell me that you've already spent the money we gave you? How is that possible?" Do you mean to tell me we're stuck out here in the wilderness with no food, no water, and no way of contacting the outside world? A: "Don't panic, but the doorknob seems to be, uh, stuck." B: "I'm sorry, do you mean to tell me we're trapped in the basement now?"

See also: mean, tell, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

You mean to tell me something

? Go to (Do) you mean to say something?

See also: mean, tell, to

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.