Tell that tale to a deaf man.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

The expression dismisses a story as unlikely to persuade someone who examines it closely. Its hearing-related image is a harsh rhetorical device, not a reason to demean people with hearing differences.

What the words are saying

Telling a tale to someone who cannot hear it is pictured as a way to avoid a questioning response. Applied to an implausible claim, the phrase tells the speaker that their account is not being accepted. It can therefore express skepticism, but it supplies no evidence about whether the story is true. A useful response to a doubtful account asks about the details and allows clarification rather than relying on ridicule. The comparison also treats a hearing difference as a convenient insult. A modern explanation can identify that device without adopting it as an appropriate way to address another person.

Everyday example

A listener asks how an unlikely sequence of events could have happened instead of accepting the story immediately.

When to use it

Use it to examine an old expression of skepticism.

Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.