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Cry wolf

Cry wolf

Meaning

Intentionally raise a false alarm.

Examples

Now Billy, there’s no point crying wolf just to stay up a bit later. We all know that there are no witches in your bedroom.

Where did it originate?

From the ‘Shepherd Boy who cried Wolf’ story in Aesop’s Fables, translated into English in the 17th century.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Cry wolf

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