you never can tell

you never can tell

You can never know something for certain, even if it seems very likely. I never expected those girls to be so rude. It's supposed to be a really good school, but you never can tell, I guess.

See also: can, never, tell

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

you never can tell

Also, you never know. Perhaps, possibly, one can't be certain, as in You never can tell, it might turn into a beautiful day, or You may yet win the lottery-you never know. The first term uses tell in the sense of "discern," a usage dating from the late 1300s; the variant dates from the mid-1800s.

See also: can, never, tell

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

you ˌnever can ˈtell

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you can ˌnever ˈtell

(saying) you can never be sure; you can never know exactly what will happen: ‘Is he happy?’ ‘I don’t know. You can never tell with him.’ ♢ ‘Who’s going to win?’ ‘In weather conditions like these you never can tell.’

See also: can, never, tell

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017