to let on

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

To mention; to disclose; to betray a knowledge or consciousness of anything. 'He never let on,' i. e. he never told me. This expression is often heard among the illiterate, and is not confined to any particular section of the United States. It is also used in the North of England and in Scotland.


'Tis like I may,--but let na on what's past

'Tween you and me, else fear a kittle cast.--Ramsay, The Gentle Shep.

The tears were runnin' out of my eyes, but I didn't want to let on for fear it would make her feel bad.--Maj. Jones's Courtship, p. 84.

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