Fred and Betty: Is this the End?
Episode 3:
How Betty Knows Betty: I know all about your other lady Fred! Your friend Martin told on you!
Listen to Betty Download audio (mp3 - 208kb) Download this page (pdf - 61k) ________________________________________________________________
TELL ON
Meaning:
if you tell on somebody, you give information about someone, usually about something bad that they have said or done, to a person in authority (like a teacher, boss or parent), knowing that this will probably result in punishment.
Grammar:
This phrasal verb must have an object. You can not separate the verb from its particle.
He told on his sister - RIGHT
He told on her - RIGHT

He told her on - WRONG
He told his sister on - WRONG

Example sentence:
When I was a child I used to steal apples from the tree in the neighbour's garden but my brother told on me and my father grounded me for a month. ________________________________________________________________
Synonyms: inform (on), grass (on), sneak (on) ________________________________________________________________