"Don't tell me" is often used in dialogues, for example "Don't tell me you're tired already!". But can you use it in a monologue? Let's say you have a character in a movie just talking to themselves. Would "don't tell me" be an appropriate substitute for "wait, could it be that he..." or something along these lines? Or does it sound wrong?
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1"Aww, don't tell me I've left the oven on again..."– John CliffordCommented Mar 14, 2016 at 9:15
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3IMO it's fine as a phrase for personal rhetorical statements. I say it when talking to myself all the time. :)– John CliffordCommented Mar 14, 2016 at 9:17
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1@JohnClifford - So do you ever reply to yourself, "I asked you not to tell me that"?– Hot LicksCommented Mar 14, 2016 at 12:33
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1@HotLicks I usually just get very annoyed with myself for telling myself I left the oven on again and give myself the silent treatment for a while to teach myself a lesson.– John CliffordCommented Mar 14, 2016 at 12:52
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1@JohnClifford - Yeah, but silent treatment or no, yourself keeps nagging you for being so stupid, right?– Hot LicksCommented Mar 14, 2016 at 12:54
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1 Answer
sure you can, people do it all the time. A monologue, doesn't mean you aren't talking to people, it just means no one is talking back (often times because you aren't talking to anyone in particular).
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OK thanks, I was just unsure because in a word-for-word translation to Russian it definitely sounds wrong.– kuchitsuCommented Mar 14, 2016 at 9:26