spin a yarn
Weave a story
To spin a yarn is to tell a story, especially a long or elaborate one that may be exaggerated or fictional.
The phrase comes from sailors' tradition of telling tales while spinning rope fibers into yarn.
It suggests entertaining narrative rather than strict truth: Grandpa loved to spin yarns about his war days.
Someone who spins a yarn is a storyteller, not necessarily a liar—though the listener should expect embellishment.
- tall taleWildly exaggerated story
- storyAccount of events
- taleSpoken or written narrative
- once upon a timeTraditional narrative opening
- fableMoral tale with animals
old wives' tale · recount · concoct · lie · shaggy dog story · sea story · storytelling · fantasy · make believe · imagination · fish story · narrative · campfire · fireside chat · fabulist · old salt · describe · raconteur
- Sewing Metaphorsseamless, threadbare, woven, patched up, hanging by a thread
- turn phrasesabout face, turn the tables, turn a blind eye, turn over a new leaf, turn the corner
spin a yarntell the truth
Communicate facts honestly
truth · honesty · reality · tell it like it is · veracity
spin a yarncut to the chase
Skip to essentials
get to the point · speak plainly · brevity · keep it simple · terseness