Crying Wolf
- Crying Wolf
- How common is this idiom?: This idiom is not as commonly used in modern language as it was in the past, but it still appears in literature, media, and everyday conversations, especially in situations where someone is lying or deceiving others repeatedly.
- Literal Meaning: Literally, the phrase refers to a shepherd boy who repeatedly cries out for help, claiming a wolf is attacking his flock, even though there is no wolf. Eventually, when a wolf really appears, the boy's cries for help are ignored.
- Actual Idiomatic Meaning: The idiom means to lie or raise a false alarm repeatedly, so that when a real problem or emergency occurs, no one believes you.
- The boy cried wolf so many times that when a bear really came, no one believed him.
- The company's repeated false claims of 'limited time offers' had everyone crying wolf, so when they really had a sale, no one believed them.
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