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Cry Wolf

To send out a wrong signal of any threat or impending danger, a false alarm

Etymology:

  • This expression is originated from a famous Aesop’s fable. A boy had the habit of attracting people, by telling them that a wolf was eating his sheep. The nearby people came to help him, but found nothing. That boy repeated this wolf attack incident two or three times and tricked people. One day a wolf came to attack the sheep and killed them. That day the boy made a lot of noise, but no one came to help him.
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Don’t worry about the little kids; they have the habit of crying wolf.

Submitted on February 25, 2019

Additional definitions for 'Cry Wolf':

cry wolfTo raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.
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    "Cry Wolf." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/cry-wolf_44593>.

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