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Truth, Secrecy, & Deception - Deception

Discover how English idioms like "blow smoke" and "smell a rat" relate to deception in English.

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English idioms related to Truth, Secrecy, & Deception
to [pull] the wool over {one's} eyes

to hide the truth from someone and make them believe something that is not true

Ex: He tried to pull the wool over my eyes with fake documents. 
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to [bend|stretch] the truth

to not be completely truthful about something by changing or omitting some facts

Ex: He bent the truth to make himself look better in the interview. 
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to [blow] smoke

to try to deceive a person by doing or saying something that misleads or confuses them

Ex: He was blowing smoke to avoid answering the question. 
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Canterbury tale

a story, explanation, or excuse that is hard to believe

Ex: He told a real Canterbury tale about why he was late. 
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to [cook] the books

to illegally change the financial records of a company or organization for personal gain

Ex: They cooked the books to show fake profits. 
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snow job
snow job
[noun]

an attempt to persuade someone to do or believe something using deception or flattery

Ex: Don't let him snow job you. 
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hook, line, and sinker

used for emphasizing how easily a person is fooled or deceived

Ex: Despite the dubious offer, he fell for it hook, line, and sinker, investing his savings in a fraudulent scheme. 
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to [throw] dust in {one's} eyes

to provide someone with false, altered, or misleading information

Ex: He tried to throw dust in their eyes with fake numbers. 
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to [worm] {sth} out of {sb}

to make someone reveal information by questioning them repeatedly or cleverly

Ex: The reporter tried to worm the truth out of the witness. 
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to [take] {sb} for a ride

to deceive a person, often in order to steal their money

Ex: He took me for a ride and disappeared with my money. 
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to [smell] a rat

to begin to feel that there might be something wrong or dishonest about a situation

Ex: He began to smell a rat when the contract changed at the last minute. 
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monkey business

behavior that is mischievous, dishonest, or unacceptable

Ex: There was some monkey business going on behind the scenes. 
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(as|) crooked as a dog's hind leg

used to refer to a person who behaves in an untrustworthy or deceitful way

Ex: That politician is as crooked as a dog's hind leg. 
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to [lead] {sb} (up|down) the garden path

to make a person believe something that is not true

Ex: He led her up the garden path with false promises. 
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bait and switch

a deceptive marketing tactic where a product or service is advertised at a low price to attract customers, but is then substituted for a more expensive or inferior option

Ex: The store used bait and switch to lure customers in. 
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smoke and mirrors

a situation where something seems impressive or important, but is actually just a distraction from something else

Ex: The presentation was just smoke and mirrors. 
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[pull] a fast one

to cheat someone in a clever and often unexpected way

Ex: He tried to pull a fast one on the salesman. 
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free lunch

something that appears free but actually costs something in a hidden or indirect way

Ex: The app looks like a free lunch, but it sells your data. 
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copycat
copycat
[noun]

a person who imitates the actions, clothes, ideas, etc. of someone else

Ex: He's just a copycat, always imitating famous athletes. 
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to [throw] {sb} off the scent

to mislead someone so they do not discover the truth

Ex: He lied about the meeting to throw everyone off the scent. 
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to [sell] {sb} a bill of goods

to trick or mislead someone into believing something false

Ex: The salesman sold them a bill of goods about the car. 
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