Munchhausen
- noun
- /ˈmʌnˌhaʊzən/
- Literature
- People often refer to him as a Munchhausen because of his outrageous claims about his adventures.
Examples
-
177 Munchhausen <366> -- Baron Munchhausen (1790-97), Ger. soldier, hunter, traveler, and boaster.
Academic text (1995) -
177 Munchhausen <366> -- Baron Munchhausen (1790-97), Ger. soldier, hunter, traveler, and boaster.
Academic text (1995) -
One Swedish reviewer called Holdt a "completely reliable Munchhausen."
Academic text (2000) -
The voters got nothing from it other than seeing Baron Munchhausen, Rip Van Winkle, and Methuselah go at it, and to quote Shakespeare, was "a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
Blog text (9) -
In one tale, when Munchhausen nails a fox to a wall and whips it, the fox jumps out of his skin (or "pelt" as Begriffenfeldt says a few lines later).
Academic text (1995) -
Baron Munchhausen was known for his unbelievable stories about hunting giant creatures.
-
She is such a Munchhausen that her friends never believe her fantastic tales.
Synonyms
A person who makes up lies to trick people
A person who tells made-up or imaginary stories, often as if they were true
A German nobleman who told made-up stories about his adventures
A person who tells adventure stories that are clearly not true
A person who makes up false or exaggerated stories and says they are true
A person who tells silly, clearly untrue stories
Surface Forms
Etymology
Munchhausen comes from the name of a real German baron, Munchausen, who was famous for telling wildly impossible adventure stories. So, calling someone a Munchhausen today means they tell 'tall tales' or stories that are hard to believe.