tell that/it to the Marines

tell that/it to the Marines

Try fooling some more gullible person, because I won’t fall for that story. This term originated about 1800 in Britain, when sailors had nothing but contempt for marines, whom they regarded as gullible greenhorns. Byron used the expression in The Island (1823): “That will do for the Marines but sailors won’t believe it,” remarking that this was already an old saying.
See also: Marine, tell, that
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • not have a bar of something
  • who am I fooling
  • greenhorn
  • a babe in arms
  • babe in arms
  • fall off the cabbage truck
  • fall off the turnip truck
  • just fell off the turnip truck
  • turnip
  • shnook