English

Phrase

I told you so

1. A phrase used to remind someone that they were already warned that a certain event would happen.
   • 1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot Chapter IV

     "See that, man!" Some flowers and grasses and another leafy branch floated toward us. We both scanned the water and the coastline. Bradley evidently discovered something, or at least thought that he had. He called down for a bucket and a rope, and when they were passed up to him, he lowered the former into the sea and drew it in filled with water. Of this he took a taste, and straightening up, looked into my eyes with an expression of elation--as much as to say "I told you so!"

Usage notes

This phrase is often said as "I hate to say I told you so", as a form of paralipsis.

Quotations

• For usage examples of this term, see Citations:I told you so.

Translations