I have a question about the following sentences from a novel.

(Posner:)“I flunked the first two tests in chemistry one-oh-one at VCU.”
“No kidding,” Ruffin muttered.
“Now you tell me.” Carlisle feigned horror and disgust. “And I was told I’d get the best instructors in the world if I came here. I want my money back.”
("Black Notice" by Patricia Cornwell, p196)

context (or situation): 1) the office of chief medical examiner in Richmond
2) Three persons are at light conversation
3) Posner: a trace evidence examiner
Carlisle: an intern, or a student, 　under Posner's instruction
Ruffin: a morgue supervisor, who wishes to work at the police department.. He failed in the police academy's examination recently.
4) Posner, knowing Ruffin's failed test, is telling his own experience.
5) Carlisle responded to this.

question: about "Now you tell me."
What's the meaning of this phrase? I couldn't get its nuance.
There is a similar expression: "You tell me." which, according to a dictionary, means: You are the one responsible, so I want you to give me the answer or explanation.
So, maybe Carlisle is indicating jokingly how you became an instructor to us, you should explain.

tonbei submitted this gripping article, maybe on Tuesday:
>
> I have a question about the following sentences from a novel.
>
> (Posner:)“I flunked the first two tests in chemistry one-oh-one at VCU.”
> “No kidding,” Ruffin muttered.
> “Now you tell me.” Carlisle feigned horror and disgust. “And I was told I’d
> get the best instructors in the world if I came here. I want my money back.”
> ("Black Notice" by Patricia Cornwell, p196)
>
> context (or situation): 1) the office of chief medical examiner in Richmond
> 2) Three persons are at light conversation
> 3) Posner: a trace evidence examiner
> Carlisle: an intern, or a student, 　under Posner's instruction
> Ruffin: a morgue supervisor, who wishes to work at the police department.
> He failed in the police academy's examination recently. 4) Posner, knowing
> Ruffin's failed test, is telling his own experience. 5) Carlisle responded to
> this.
>
> question: about "Now you tell me."
> What's the meaning of this phrase? I couldn't get its nuance.
> There is a similar expression: "You tell me." which, according to a
> dictionary, means: You are the one responsible, so I want you to give me the
> answer or explanation. So, maybe Carlisle is indicating jokingly how you
> became an instructor to us, you should explain.

It's most likely just a temporal "now", and the implication is that
Posner should have told Carlisle before Carlisle became an intern.

Often this is said in a rueful tone, where as "you tell me" is a
command often said in a stern or challenging manner.

/dps

--
Maybe C282Y is simply one of the hangers-on, a groupie following a
future guitar god of the human genome: an allele with undiscovered
virtuosity, currently soloing in obscurity in Mom's garage.
Bradley Wertheim, theAtlantic.com, Jan 10 2013

Snidely scribbled something on Wednesday the 1/10/2024:
> tonbei submitted this gripping article, maybe on Tuesday:
>>
>> I have a question about the following sentences from a novel.
>>
>> (Posner:)“I flunked the first two tests in chemistry one-oh-one at VCU.”
>> “No kidding,” Ruffin muttered. “Now you tell me.” Carlisle feigned horror
>> and disgust. “And I was told I’d get the best instructors in the world if I
>> came here. I want my money back.” ("Black Notice" by Patricia Cornwell,
>> p196)
>>
>> context (or situation): 1) the office of chief medical examiner in
>> Richmond
>> 2) Three persons are at light conversation
>> 3) Posner: a trace evidence examiner
>> Carlisle: an intern, or a student, 　under Posner's instruction
>> Ruffin: a morgue supervisor, who wishes to work at the police
>> department. He failed in the police academy's examination recently. 4)
>> Posner, knowing Ruffin's failed test, is telling his own experience. 5)
>> Carlisle responded to this.
>>
>> question: about "Now you tell me."
>> What's the meaning of this phrase? I couldn't get its nuance. There is a
>> similar expression: "You tell me." which, according to a dictionary, means:
>> You are the one responsible, so I want you to give me the answer or
>> explanation. So, maybe Carlisle is indicating jokingly how you became an
>> instructor to us, you should explain.
>
> It's most likely just a temporal "now", and the implication is that Posner
> should have told Carlisle before Carlisle became an intern.
>
> Often this is said in a rueful tone,

and with the emphasis on "now", often lengthing the word

> where as "you tell me" is a command
> often said in a stern or challenging manner.

where the "me" would be emphasized, and the "you" would have secondary
emphasis
>
> /dps

--
"Inviting people to laugh with you while you are laughing at yourself
is a good thing to do, You may be a fool but you're the fool in
charge." -- Carl Reiner

"Tonbei":
> I have a question about the following sentences from a novel.
>
> (Posner:)"I flunked the first two tests in chemistry one-oh-one at VCU."
> "No kidding," Ruffin muttered.
> "Now you tell me." Carlisle feigned horror and disgust. "And I was
> told I'd get the best instructors in the world if I came here. I want
> my money back."
> ("Black Notice" by Patricia Cornwell, p196)

> question: about "Now you tell me."

The word "now" is emphasized in speech; the effective meaning is "You
should have told me sooner." It is normally said jocularly.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "Bacterium is the term for a single bacteria."
msb@vex.net |

> > "Now you tell me." Carlisle feigned horror and disgust. "And I was
> > told I'd get the best instructors in the world if I came here. I want
> > my money back."
> > ("Black Notice" by Patricia Cornwell, p196)

> > question: about "Now you tell me."

Mark Brader said:
> The word "now" is emphasized in speech; the effective meaning is "You
> should have told me sooner." It is normally said jocularly.

I agree.
The meaning I see is:
"[Too bad] [It's only now] that you're telling me."
---
Marius Hancu

On 07:23 10 Jan 2024, tonbei said:
>
>
> I have a question about the following sentences from a novel.
>
> (Posner:)�I flunked the first two tests in chemistry one-oh-one at
> VCU.� �No kidding,� Ruffin muttered.
> �Now you tell me.� Carlisle feigned horror and disgust. �And I
> was told I�d get the best instructors in the world if I came here. I
> want my money back.�
> ("Black Notice" by Patricia Cornwell, p196)
>
> context (or situation): 1) the office of chief medical examiner in
> Richmond 2) Three persons are at light conversation
> 3) Posner: a trace evidence examiner
> Carlisle: an intern, or a student, ?under Posner's instruction
> Ruffin: a morgue supervisor, who wishes to work at the police
> department. He failed in the police academy's examination recently.
> 4) Posner, knowing Ruffin's failed test, is telling his own
> experience. 5) Carlisle responded to this.
>
> question: about "Now you tell me."
> What's the meaning of this phrase? I couldn't get its nuance.
> There is a similar expression: "You tell me." which, according to a
> dictionary, means: You are the one responsible, so I want you to give
> me the answer or explanation. So, maybe Carlisle is indicating
> jokingly how you became an instructor to us, you should explain.

(a) "You tell me" or "Now, you tell me"
(b) "Now you tell me"

I see (a) and (b) as unconnected in meaning, even though they share several
words and almost mimic one another.