LYING
cock-and-bull story
a silly, made-up story; a story that is a lie. (Fixed order.)Don't give me that cock-and-bull story.I asked for an explanation, and all I got was your ridiculous cock-and-bull story!
lie through one's teeth
to lie boldly.I knew she was lying through her teeth, but I didn't want to say so just then.I'm not lying through my teeth! I never do!
make something up
to think up something; to make and tell a lie.That's not true! You just made that up!I didn't make it up!You made up that story!
stretch the truth
to exaggerate; to misrepresent the truth just a little bit.She was stretching the truth when she said everything was ready for the party.I don't want to stretch the truth. Our town is probably the wealthiest around here.
cooked up
mod. contrived. (This is hyphenated before a nominal.)The whole thing seems so cooked up.What a cooked-up story! Of course, you don't believe it.
fairy tale and bedtime story
n. a simplistic and condescending explanation for something; a lie.I don't want to hear a fairy tale, just the facts, ma'am.What you're telling me sounds like a bedtime story. Come back when you can be more straightforward.
fib
1.
n. a small lie.
It was just a little fib. I'm sorry.Is this another one of your fibs?
2.
in. to tell a small lie.
Stop fibbing and tell me the truth.Did you fib to the teacher?
fibber
n. a liar.Harry can be a fibber sometimes. You got to watch him.Jimmy is turning into a little fibber.
fish story and fish tale
n. a great big lie. (Like the fisherman who exaggerates the size of the fish that got away.)That's just a fish story. Tell me another!He's a master at the fish tale. Maybe he should be a politician.
lollapalooza
n. a big lie.She just told a lollapalooza.What a lollapalooza! You expect me to believe that?
talk through one's hat
in. to say baseless things; to speak carelessly and tell lies.Pay no attention to my friend here. He's just talking through his hat.You don't know what you are talking about. You're just talking through your hat.
whopper
n. a very big lie.That one's a whopper. I don't believe a word of it.She sure told a whopper, didn't she?