A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

television serial • television series
television serial —a story on television which appears in parts
(usually at regular times): The novel has recently been dram-
atized as a television serial.
television series —a set of television programs, each complete
in itself, that deal with the same subject: He is the co-author
of the popular television series “Yes, Minister.”
tell tales • tell the tale
tell tales —
1
. tell about smb. who has done smth. wrong;
inform upon a person: Teachers hate children who tell tales
about their friends. 2. give away private information to out-
siders: You’ve no business to know that. Somebody’s been
telling tales. 3. tell a made-up story with the object of deceiv-
ing or arousing sympathy: David’s mother was worried because
he was always telling her tales.
Note: 
The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with
the phrase tell tales out of school— = tell tales 2: He had
learned the eleventh commandment [do not tell tales out of
school] and was the safest confidant to be found.
tell the tale —
1
. = tell tales 3: “What did you tell me when
you borrowed the money?” “Oh, we all tell the tale when we
want money.” 2. be significant or revealing: Had he been fired
or had he quit. I flipped through the papers, looking for ref-
erences that might tell the tale.
Note: 
a) The expression does not correlate in meaning with
the phrase live to tell the tale—survive a very dangerous or
frightening experience (and so be able to tell about it afterwards):
Once she took a laxative overdose and the doctors did warn
us that if she did it again there was no way she would live to
tell the tale.
b) The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase
talk the talk
—(coll.) speak fluently or convincingly about smth.
so as to please or impress others: They will hold seminars and
they will talk the talk but in the end they will do nothing of
substance to end the problem.