sail under false colors
Pretend different allegiance
To sail under false colors is to misrepresent one's true identity or intentions.
The phrase comes from naval warfare, where ships would fly a friendly nation's flag to approach enemies before revealing their true allegiance.
Now used broadly for any deliberate deception about who you are or what you're doing: He sailed under false colors for years before we discovered he'd never actually graduated from medical school.
- impersonateAssume another's identity
- guiseExternal manner shown
- under coverOperating in concealment
- misleadCause false belief
- piracySeaborne theft or bootlegging
deceit · masquerade · dishonesty · ruse · duplicity · bait and switch · imposture · privateering · fraud · subterfuge · smoke and mirrors · charade · wolf in sheep's clothing · maritime law · sham · artifice · fraudulence · mimic
sail under false colorsshow one's true colors
Reveal genuine character
be authentic · be oneself · lay one's cards on the table · wear one's heart on one's sleeve · come clean
sails, sailed, sailing, sailor, sailors, false, falsely, falseness, falsification