A few days ago
Help! What does this phrase mean?
Where does the phrase “If I tell you, then I’d have to kill you” come from? I’ve seen it alot in movies like A walk to remember, etc. What is the meaning of this? or where did it originate from
Top 10 Answers
A few days ago
Favorite Answer
The earliest movie usage I can find is from “Top Gun” (1986), but I have a feeling that it probably goes back much further.
Charlie: Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is there something wrong?
Maverick: Yes ma’am, the data on the MiG is inaccurate.
Charlie: How’s that, Lieutenant?
Maverick: Well, I just happened to see a MiG 28 do a…
Goose: We!
Maverick: Uh, sorry Goose. WE happened to see a MiG 28 do a 4g negative dive.
Charlie: Where did you see this?
Maverick: Uh, that’s classified.
Charlie: It’s what?
Maverick: It’s classified. I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.
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A few days ago
I think it was actually a movie line originally, but it eludes to top secret information. If the hearer doesn’t have the same clearance they shouldn’t have the information, to it’s a warning, you can’t know this information because if you did, I’d have to kill you! So, I won’t tell you.
2
A few days ago
“If I tell you, I’d have to kill you” is a phrase we hear jokingly all the time regarding secrets.
i read somewhere that the phase is possible to have originated in the 70’s with a tory about a US marine soldier in an incident with a frenchman.
1
A few days ago
no idea about the origin, but it means that the answer to whatever was asked of them is a very big secret. if anybody else knew about it, they’d have to be killed to prevent the secret from being let out.
1
A few days ago
It originated in the CIA many,many,moons ago,it’s meaning is so secret that if I tell you,then I’d have to kill you to keep this secret a secret. (DO YOU GET IT NOW)
1
A few days ago
I think movie producers made this one, but it means there is a huge secret, and that the person doesn’t want it to get out.
1
A few days ago
It started from an even more obscure phrase, “Two can keep a secret, if one of them are dead”, which may (or may not) trace back to the old saying attributed to various pirates “dead men tell no tales”.
3
A few days ago
It means something is TOP SECRET, meaning that anyone who knows the secret would need to be destroyed.
I dont know where it originates from, but my best guess would be the government.
1
A few days ago
I don’t know where it came from but it’s probably some secret no one is suppose to know about or it is dangerous for you if you know about it
1
A few days ago
I think it is from one of the Ocean movies 12 I think.
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