spin a yarn
verbEtymology By metaphor from spinning fibers into yarn or thread, as for example at a spinning wheel.
1
Idiomatic To tell or create a story, especially one which is lengthy or far-fetched.
- Now I must tell you a little about myself;—or rather, I am inclined to spin a yarn, and tell you a great deal.1864, Anthony Trollope, chapter 14, in Can You Forgive Her?:
- Synonyms
- spin a tale
- Derived terms
- yarn-spinner