a little bird told me
A phrase used when one does not want to reveal the source of the information that one is about to share or has shared. A: "Did you hear that Mark is planning to propose to Sarah soon?" B: "Yes, a little bird told me."
little bird told one, a
A source one cannot or will not identify gave this information, as in How did you learn they were getting a divorce?-Oh, a little bird told me. Versions of this idiom date from ancient times and appear in numerous proverb collections.