IdiomNature
English
Englishlead someone up the garden path
Meaning: To deceive someone, keeping them hopeful along the way.
Example: “The dealership led us up the garden path about the delivery date.”
Origin: The image is of a suitor leading someone on a pleasant garden walk while intending something else. The British phrase is recorded from the early 20th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Russian: Водить за нос (Vodit' za nos) Literally: To lead by the nose
Polish: Robić kogoś w konia Literally: To make someone into a horse
Hungarian: Lóvá tesz valakit Literally: To make a horse of someone
More English idioms
- packed like sardines Crowded very tightly together.
- give someone the runaround To put someone off with excuses instead of a straight answer.
- pin the blame on someone To make someone take responsibility for a fault, often unfairly.
- a closed book Something one knows nothing about, or someone impossible to understand.
- up to one's ears in debt Deeply in debt.
- hand on heart Said when swearing that something is completely true.
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