sail under false colors
verb
Roget 544:
be false
etc.
adj.,
be a liar
etc.
548;
speak falsely
etc.
adv.;
tell a lie
etc.
546;
lie,
fib;
lie like a trooper;
swear false,
forswear,
perjure oneself,
bear false witness.
misstate,
misquote,
miscite†,
misreport,
misrepresent;
belie,
falsify,
pervert,
distort;
put a false construction upon
etc.
(misinterpret);
prevaricate,
equivocate,
quibble;
palter,
palter to the understanding;
repondre en Normand [Fr.];
trim,
shuffle,
fence,
mince the truth,
beat about the bush,
blow hot and cold,
play fast and loose.
garble,
gloss over,
disguise,
give a color to;
give a gloss,
put a gloss,
put false coloring upon;
color,
varnish,
cook,
dress up,
embroider;
varnish right and puzzle wrong;
exaggerate
etc.
549;
blague†.
invent,
fabricate;
trump up,
get up;
force,
fake,
hatch,
concoct;
romance
etc.
(imagine)
515;
cry 'wolf!'.
dissemble,
dissimulate;
feign,
assume,
put on,
pretend,
make believe;
play possum;
play false,
play a double game;
coquet;
act a part,
play a part;
affect
etc.
855;
simulate,
pass off for;
counterfeit,
sham,
make a show of;
malinger;
say the grapes are sour.
cant,
play the hypocrite,
sham Abraham,
faire pattes de velours,
put on the mask,
clean the outside of the platter,
lie like a conjuror;
hand out false colors,
hold out false colors,
sail under false colors;
commend the poisoned chalice to the lips"
[Macbeth];
ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces [Lat.];
deceive
etc.
545.
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