lay it on thick

Idioms and Phrases

Also, lay it on with a trowel . Exaggerate, overstate; also, flatter effusively. For example, Jane laid it on thick when she said this was the greatest book she'd ever read , or Tom thought he'd get the senator to waive the speaker's fee if he just laid it on with a trowel . This idiom alludes to applying a thick coat of paint or plaster. [c. 1600]

Related Words

• amplify
• distort
• emphasize
• fabricate
• falsify
• heighten
• inflate
• magnify
• misrepresent
• overdo
• overdraw
• overemphasize
• overestimate