(you) could have fooled me

(you) could have fooled me

Really? I thought the opposite was true. A: "This neighborhood has really improved in recent years—it's quite popular now." B: "Wow. With all the boarded-up buildings, you could have fooled me." Maria is shy? Could have fooled me. She was talking all night.

See also: could, fool, have

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

(You) could have fooled me.

Inf. I would have thought otherwise.; I would have thought the opposite. Henry: Did you know that this land is among the most productive in the entire state? Jane: You could have fooled me. It looks quite barren. John: I really do like Mary. Andy: Could have fooled me. You treat her rather badly sometimes.

See also: could, fool, have

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

you could have fooled me

People say you could have fooled me to show that it does not seem to you that something is true. `I came here to apologize.' — `You could have fooled me.' Car makers are supposed to be bringing their prices down. Well, you could have fooled me.

See also: could, fool, have

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

you could have fooled me!

used to express cynicism or doubt about an assertion. informal

See also: could, fool, have

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

you could have ˌfooled ˈme!

(informal) used for expressing your surprise about a statement, claim, etc: ‘He’s quite intelligent, you know.’ ‘You could have fooled me! I’ve never heard him say anything intelligent at all.’

See also: could, fool, have

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017