cook up (something)

to invent something to produce a result you want.

Freddy cooked up a great story so that Jane wouldn't know she was on her way to a surprise party for her birthday.

Usage notes: often cook up means to invent something that is dishonest or illegal: I'd like to find out who cooked this scheme up.

Etymology: based on the idea of cooking food to make a meal

• gospel truth
• go stag
• go straight
• Go take a running jump!
• Go tell it to the marines.
• Go tell that to the marines.
• go the distance
• go the extra mile
• go the full distance
• go the whole hog
• go the whole nine yards
• go thin on top
• go through
• go through fire and water
• go through hell
• go through hoops
• go through like a dose of salts
• go through like a hot knife through butter
• go through like a knife through butter
• go through someone like a dose of salts
• go through something like a dose of salts
• go through something like a hot knife through butter
• go through something like a knife through butter
• go through the floor
• go through the mill