Up the Garden Path 🌺
Definition:
- To deceive or trick: This expression, often put simply as “up the garden,” originated early in the twentieth century and tends to suggest a romantic or seductive enticement. Often found in popular novels of the 1930s and 1940s, it is less frequently heard today.
Related Expressions:
- Leading one down the Primrose Path: This implies guiding someone towards temptation or disaster with a façade of beauty.
Synonyms:
- Fooling
- Hoodwinking
- Conning
- Bamboozling
Antonyms:
- Enlightening
- Revealing
- Disclosing
- Clarifying
Quotes:
- “She led him right up the garden path, and before he knew it, he was utterly lost—in more ways than one.”
Similar Terms:
- Bait and switch: A deceptive sales tactic.
- Pulling the wool over someone’s eyes: To trick or deceive someone, especially by not being completely open or honest.
Proverbs:
- “All that glitters is not gold.” Meaning, not everything that looks precious or true turns out to be so.
Suggestions for Further Reading:
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – An intricate detailing of deceit woven with romance.
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier – Classic novel replete with puzzles and misdirection.
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – A narrative encapsulating ruses and revelations.
Songs:
- “Would I Lie to You?” by The Eurythmics – A melodious inquiry into the theme of deceit.
- “Smooth Operator” by Sade – Smoothly sails the seas of seduction and wile.
Movies:
- The Sting (1973) – A timeless tale of trickery and deception.
- Catch Me If You Can (2002) – Adventures of a young con artist on the run from the law.
### Which of the following means to deceive someone?
- [x] Up the garden path
- [ ] By the woods' edge
- [ ] Flying the coop
- [ ] Holding all the cards
> **Explanation:** "Up the garden path" is an idiom for leading someone into deception. The other options lack this connotation.
### Which phrase implies guiding someone towards temptation?
- [ ] Running late
- [ ] Crossing paths
- [x] Primrose path
- [ ] Up the ladder
> **Explanation:** The "Primrose path" conveys leading someone into temptation, often with an appearance of ease or attractiveness.
### True or False: 'Up the garden path' means to lead someone to a romantic garden.
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** Despite the picturesque image, "Up the garden path" actually means to deceive or trick someone, not just a stroll in a sweet setting.
Closing Thought:
Dear reader, as you traverse through life, may you always discern the honest from the artful and the sincere from the cunning. Remember, wisdom often seeds in gardens of guile. 🌸
Yours truly,
A Façade Masterson
Publish Date: 2023-10-01
