eggcornish "tattletale signs"

[Arnold Zwicky]

from
   http://pomegranate.stores.yahoo.net/aa280.html

Instantly recognizable for their sensuous texture and warm, luminous
palette, Wayne Thiebaud’s images of cakes, pies, and other everyday
objects brought him to international prominence in the 1960s. His food
paintings explore society’s fascination with, and ritualistic
treatment of, certain culinary items; Thiebaud (American, b. 1920)
paints what he has called the “tattletale signs” of our culture.
.....

"tattletale" for "telltale", probably playful for Thiebaud.

there's a modest number of apparently straightforward instances, for
instance:

[from _Cosmetic Surgery_, by Rhonda S. Narins] ... are bombarded with
media messages telling them they can use creams, injections, and
surgery to erase these tattletale signs of their advancing age. ...
   http://books.google.com/books?id=S7R0n3HXqeMC&pg=PA314&lpg=PA314&dq=%22tattletale+signs%22&source=bl&ots=EOq_rOg1Lr&sig=HJXU8DyBNkU5TNpWzgNsX9sh_Lo&hl=en&ei=HrgwSsjXKJLstQOJocjzAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7

[safer sex advice] Watch for tattletale signs that the body (yours or
your play partner's), has reached its limit where you need to rest for
a bit, call for a change in the ...
   http://www.theabbey.org/sermons/sermons.html

[stand-up comedy workshop] Here are the tattletale signs: Opening with
"How you all doin' tonight?" or " Enjoying the show so far?" or "Wus
up?" They don't care. ...
   http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=104254587
  &blogId=362180063

When I arrived and took a look at the engine I didn't see any of the
tattletale signs of over heating. Like black spark plug or burnt oil
on the cylinders.
  http://www.ez.org/buyer_beware.htm

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