You would make me believe the moon is made of green cheese.
Meaning: Absurd claims require absurd evidence; gullibility has limits even when persuasion is skillful.
Origin: John Heywood's 1546 collection has "the moon is made of a green cheese," and it was already a byword for gullibility. "Green" meant new and unripened, not the color: a young round cheese could look like the pale full moon. Believing such a thing was the mark of a simpleton.
More proverbs about Communication
- The best lie is the worst. — A lie that succeeds too perfectly eventually collapses under its own elaborate contradict…
- Give a dog a bone in his mouth, and you may kick him and he can't bite. — A person preoccupied with satisfying their immediate desires loses the ability to resist…
- Every man as his business lies. — Expertise and judgment develop naturally from close involvement with one's own work and r…
- It's a bad cause that none dare speak in. — Silence around a cause signals its moral weakness or indefensibility, not its strength.
- Children and fools speak the truth. — Unguarded honesty emerges from those lacking social filters or awareness of consequences.
- Children should hear, see, and say nothing. — Children benefit from observing and learning quietly before contributing their own opinio…
From our false friends
- Simpatichny (Симпатичный) (Simpatichnyy) — Actually means 'good-looking' or 'likeable'. For sympathetic, say сочувствующий (sochuvst…
- Aktualny (Актуальный) (Aktualnyy) — Actually means 'topical' or 'currently relevant'. For actual (real), say настоящий (nasto…
- Artist (Артист) (Artist) — Actually means 'performer' — an actor, singer or circus artiste. A painter is художник (k…