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Idiomatic Expressions about Honesty & Dishonesty (Part 3)

24/11/16 Idiomatic Expressions about Honesty & Dishonesty (Part 3)

money laundering	When people launder money, they manage to conceal the source of illegally-obtained money so that it is believed to be legitimate. Example: Certain countries have been accused of facilitating money laundering.
monkey business	An activity which is organized in a deceitful or dishonest way is called monkey business. Example: The results announced seem suspicious – I think there’s some monkey business going on.
play by the rules	If you play by the rules, you behave in a fair and honest way with people. Example: You can trust him, don’t worry.  He always plays by the rules.
rip-off	To say that something is a rip-off means that it costs much more than it should. Example: $10 for an orange juice?  That’s a rip-off!
smokescreen	A smokescreen is an action or tactic intended to conceal or divert attention from your real intentions or activities. Example: His travel business was just a smokescreen for his political activities.
smoking gun	A smoking gun is a piece of evidence or the indisputable sign of someone’s guilt. Example: The fingerprints left on the door-handle was the smoking gun that enabled the police to arrest him.
sow the seeds of suspicion	If someone’s behavior, or something they say, sows the seeds of suspicion, it leads people to suspect that they are guilty. Example: The fact that the boy spent a lot of money after the burglary sowed the seeds of suspicion in the neighbors’ minds.
stretch the truth	When you stretch the truth, you exaggerate the facts or say things that are not exactly true. Example: Some candidates are tempted to stretch the truth about their skills or work experience.