
Idiomatic Expressions about Honesty & Dishonesty (Part 3)
November 24, 2016
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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. |