pray tell

[ prey tel ]

verb phrase

1. (used to emphasize a request for information, often to suggest that the answer is either obvious or unknowable):

   You say there is no moon, but what, pray tell, rises in the sky every night?

   Just what, pray tell, do those people actually do?

Word History and Origins

Origin of pray tell¹

First recorded in 1840–45

Example Sentences

“And what, pray tell, are you implying?” the wolf growled softly.

From Literature

Pray tell: A perspective for whom, exactly?

From Salon

Since that early foray into music, Porter has gone on to become a decorated artist, with an Emmy win for his portrayal of Pray Tell on “Pose,” a Tony for his star turn in “Kinky Boots” on Broadway in 2013 and a Grammy for the “Kinky Boots” soundtrack the next year.

From Seattle Times

“Pose” and the Emmy Awards — I started reading things online that said, “Oh, I didn’t know Pray Tell could sing.”

From Seattle Times

What, pray tell, is a “woke” bank?

From Washington Post