spin a yarn

Idioms and Phrases

Tell a story, especially a long drawn-out or totally fanciful one, as in This author really knows how to spin a yarn , or Whenever he's late he spins some yarn about a crisis . Originally a nautical term dating from about 1800, this expression probably owes its life to the fact that it embodies a double meaning, yarn signifying both “spun fiber” and “a tale.”

Related Words

• describe
• detail
• disclose
• present
• reveal