pattern

Truth, Secrecy, & Deception - Lying & Exaggeration

Explore English idioms regarding lying and exaggeration, including "spin a tale" and "economical with the truth".

Review

Flashcards

Quiz

Start learning
English idioms related to Truth, Secrecy, & Deception
to [be] full of (shit|crap)

(of a person) to be perceived as being dishonest or deceptive

Ex: Don't believe him; he's full of shit. 
Close
Sign in
to [be] full of it

to tell things that are completely untrue or foolish

Ex: Don't listen to him; he's full of it. 
Close
Sign in
pack of lies
pack of lies
[phrase]

any statement that is not true at all

Ex: His statement was a pack of lies from start to finish. 
Close
Sign in
tall tale
tall tale
[noun]

a story that a person cannot believe because it seems illogical or exaggerated

Ex: His story about wrestling a shark sounded like a tall tale. 
Close
Sign in
to [talk] through the back of {one's} neck

to exaggerate a lot about something

Ex: He said the queue was two miles long, but he was talking through the back of his neck. 
Close
Sign in
white lie
white lie
[noun]

a small lie that does not cause any harm, especially told to avoid making someone upset

Ex: I told a white lie and said the soup was delicious. 
Close
Sign in
to [put] on the dog

to behave in a pretentious way to prove one is rich or fashionable

Ex: He put on the dog at the reunion, arriving in a rented sports car. 
Close
Sign in
to [toot|blow] {one's} (own|) horn

to praise one's own abilities or accomplishments, often in an exaggerated way

Ex: She isn't shy about tooting her own horn at meetings. 
Close
Sign in
to [shoot] a line about {sth}

to lie, exaggerate, or boast about something

Ex: He shot a line about his connections in Hollywood, but none of it was true. 
Close
Sign in
to [spin] a (tale|story|yarn)

to tell a story that is exaggerated or completely made up

Ex: He spun a tale about getting lost in the desert for three days. 
Close
Sign in
to [lie] like a (cheap|) rug

to tell lies in an obvious way

Ex: Don't ask Leo what happened; he lies like a cheap rug. 
Close
Sign in
to [lie] through {one's} teeth

to tell something that involves no truth

Ex: He said he had never met her, but he was lying through his teeth. 
Close
Sign in
hot air
hot air
[noun]

a statement that is untrue, exaggerated, or meaningless

Ex: The CEO's promise sounded impressive, but it was mostly hot air. 
Close
Sign in
to [blow] smoke up {one's} [ass]

to use fake praise that makes a person feel good about themselves in order to trick them

Ex: Don't believe those compliments; he's just blowing smoke up your ass. 
Close
Sign in
full of beans

not in any way truthful

Ex: Don't believe his excuse; he's full of beans. 
Close
Sign in
economical with the truth

telling only part of the truth or being vague in speech

Ex: The minister was economical with the truth about the cost of the project. 
Close
Sign in
to [live] a lie

to have a life that is built on lies and deception

Ex: He spent years living a lie before finally telling his family the truth. 
Close
Sign in
to [lie] {one's} way (into|in|) {sth|}

to get out of an unfavorable situation or obtain something by telling lies

Ex: He lied his way into the club by pretending to be a journalist. 
Close
Sign in
to [stretch] the truth

to exaggerate or slightly lie

Ex: He stretched the truth on his résumé. 
Close
Sign in
to [over-egg] the pudding

to make something appear more significant, intense, or dramatic than it actually is

Ex: The report is useful, but the introduction over-eggs the pudding by calling the issue a national crisis. 
Close
Sign in
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app