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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 relate 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: The salesman tried to pull the wool over my eyes by telling me that the car was in perfect condition, when in fact it was full of problems. 
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to [bend|stretch] the truth

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

Ex: He always bends the truth so he never gets in any trouble. 
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to [blow] smoke

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

Ex: The politician was known to blow smoke about his achievements, but there was little substance behind his claims. 
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Canterbury tale

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

Ex: His explanation for being late was a Canterbury tale involving a flat tire, a lost phone, and a sudden rainstorm – hard to buy into. 
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to [cook] the books

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

Ex: The CEO was caught trying to cook the books to make the company's financial situation appear more favorable than it actually was. 
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snow job
snow job
[noun]

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

Ex: The salesman gave us a snow job, bombarding us with impressive-sounding features to distract from the product's flaws. 
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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: The con artist tried to throw dust in the investor's eyes with a complex financial scheme to cover up his fraudulent activities. 
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to [worm] {sth} out of {sb}

to make someone reveal information by questioning them repeatedly or cleverly

Ex: The detective managed to worm the truth out of the suspect during a lengthy and strategic interrogation. 
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to [take] {sb} for a ride

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

Ex: The smooth-talking salesman tried to take the elderly couple for a ride by selling them an overpriced and unnecessary insurance policy. 
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to [smell] a rat

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

Ex: After noticing inconsistencies in her colleague's story, she began to smell a rat and decided to investigate further. 
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monkey business

behavior that is mischievous, dishonest, or unacceptable

Ex: The CEO warned employees against engaging in any monkey business during the company's annual audit. 
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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: The used car salesman's deal seemed as crooked as a dog's hind leg; he failed to disclose significant issues with the vehicle. 
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to [lead] {sb} (up|down) the garden path

to make a person believe something that is not true

Ex: The scammer pretended to be a financial advisor, leading unsuspecting clients down the garden path with promises of high returns on investments. 
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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 seemingly attractive online deal for a smartphone turned out to be a bait and switch when the store insisted on selling a more expensive model upon pickup. 
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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 politician's speech was full of smoke and mirrors, promising change but lacking concrete plans. 
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to [pull] a fast one

to cheat someone in a clever and often unexpected way

Ex: He thought he could pull a fast one on the teacher by giving a fake excuse for not doing his homework, but she saw right through it. 
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free lunch

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

Ex: The online platform claimed to offer free services, but users soon discovered there was no such thing as a free lunch when they encountered hidden fees. 
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copycat
copycat
[noun]

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

Ex: In the fashion industry, designers often face challenges with copycat brands imitating their latest creations. 
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