cries wolf
Meaning
To repeatedly give false alarms, causing genuine warnings or pleas for help to be ignored when they are eventually true.
Origin
This phrase comes directly from one of Aesop's Fables, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." In the story, a bored shepherd boy repeatedly shouts "Wolf!" to trick the villagers into rushing to his aid. Each time, they find no wolf and return, increasingly annoyed. When a real wolf eventually attacks the sheep, the boy's desperate cries are ignored, as the villagers believe he's simply crying wolf again. This timeless tale, warning against deceit and the erosion of trust, has been passed down for millennia, cementing the phrase in our language as a vivid caution against false alarms.
Examples
- After he cried wolf about needing help with his homework too many times, his parents stopped believing him when he actually struggled with a big project.
- The security guard constantly cried wolf about minor disturbances, so when a real threat emerged, no one took his urgent calls seriously.