to ask what silly lies you tell to keep up appearances?

[Penfolds5]

I pretend to like films with subtitles, but in reality I find them hard to read and would go for bad dubbing/a Cameron Diaz romcom any day.

I've also been known to switch my radio from Smooth FM to Radio 4 or 6 when someone's coming over.

[Withershins]

My SIL thinks my engagement ring is diamonds, I didn't tell her this, I just didn't NOT tell her

[whitecandles]

Oh people all do this stuff and just don't realise it. What utter rot that we are all so honest.

I always pretend I'm emailing or looking for resources when actually I'm watching kpop vidoes (not even with headphones in - just watching for the hot guys.)

I pretend I'm allergic to seafood when actually I just hate it cos I'm sick of explaining and or having people try to force me to eat it.

[ghostyslovesheep]

yes I am good at pretending to fit in - even though deep down I never feel like I do - I am good at hiding my weird

[Bannerstaying]

Agree tootiredtoknow!
OP I'm the same with the radio! Love a good old song I can join in with, but the moment someone I know is near or in my car, it's radio 4 - honestly I know some really snobby brainy people and their kids are the same. Love them, but why ruin my reputation for the sake of a good tune

[Hobby2014]

I bought loads and loads of cakes from m&s and the cashier asked if it someone's birthday? I said yes even though they were just for me, DH and DM I like cake

[fleamadonna]

I used to pretend to be deeply into film noir when I was an "edgy" and "kooky" teenager/young adult.

bored me to tears in reality.

so glad I haven't the energy for giving a shit anymore. I was so desperate to be liked it was repellant.

[MissMary0fSweden]

I told my kids that I tried smoking once and it was horrible.

It's kind of true, I did try it.
For fifteen years.

[namechangedtoprotect]

I sometimes lie about the year I got married by one year as we adopted our dc and the dates don't work out at all (I am a size 8 on my wedding day, in the picture we have up and I gave birth to twins apprently a couple of months beforehand) and its a great way to make sure people don't know my girls are adopted

[tootiredtoknow]

I have no idea how self aware you are coffee. I -probably- don't know you. I was referring to people that I know specifically and speaking from experience actually. I've heard people tell a little white over and over. When I've brought the matter up at a later time, they are completely unaware of what they have done because the fib has become second nature to them.

[NKfell]

I don't correct people who assume my Dad is black- my Mum is but I think I might make people feel awkward if I say "well actually my Dad is white" or "my Mum is black not my Dad"...I worry I might sound offended even though I'm obviously not!

Makes it funny when I introduce him though

[geekymommy]

"My allergies are really acting up today", when I've been crying.

I got curtains for our kitchen windows so it's harder for anyone to look in from outside and see the mess.

I try to shave my legs before I go to a doctor's appointment, or if I'm going to be wearing anything that shows my legs. I wear long trousers all year round- no shorts, even when it's hot, because I don't want to have to shave my legs. I wear a skirt or dress pretty much only when I have to.

I'm overweight, and I pretty much only wear shirts that I don't tuck in at the waist. I wear only loose-fitting clothes.

[Sgtmajormummy]

I pretend I'm still as blonde as I was ten years ago. Good job I found the right colour dye kit when it was still just my temples. I even have coloured mousse for the roots. And I'm generally not fussed about how I look.

[MrsTedCrilly]

I go to the shop and buy 20 chocolate bars, then if they comment I'll say we're having a party or I'm baking lots of brownies for school! Then I'll use different shops the next few times..

[EponasWildDaughter]

I often pretend to be enjoying social occasions when in my head i'm dying to just go home and chill. This is with family and friends. I think i'm quite good at it.

I wouldn't say i actively lie about much - but i do a very good job of ... glossing over the facts/swerving the subject when it comes to 2 things:

1 My lack of friends and social life (i am quite happy to be an antisocial moo but it just doesn't seem the done thing to admit it. The done thing seems to be being up to the eyes in friends and social engagements)

and

2 The age gap between DH and i. (i look a lot younger than i am, and he looks a lot older than he is - so no one ever asks and i don't mention it )

[AnnaFiveTowns]

Years ago a friend of mine told her colleagues at work that she could speak fluent Spanish. This came back to haunt her when one of those colleagues later left her purse in a hotel in Spain and she asked my friend to call the hotel for her She told her workmate that she couldn't make the call as she'd forgotten the Spanish word for purse!

[BlueBananas]

Hmm now in trying to figure out what lie I tell without realising...

[wickedlazy]

Had a pregnancy scare and had to buy a test from local chemist. Girl on till known to be a gossip. Made out that it was for a friend. Then when I had to retest a week later (only had enough change to buy a single test first time) and buy another one, made out it was for friend again.

[TallulahFallula]

I often fake lol irl if someone else is, or if they've said something they clearly intended to be funny.

I can't help it. I'm not a natural lol'er or even broad smiler even though I've got a good soh.

That's why I tend to prefer not to mix with bubbly people who laugh a lot. I end up looking a right misery.

[BlueBananas]

I've got one!
I pretend my house is always clean & tidy, never let people in if it's not
Sometimes on the school run I'll say "wanna call in for a brew?" As if it's a spur of the moment thing when really I'd been planning to do this and cleaning all day...then when walking through the door I'll usually say "oh ignore the mess" when there isn't any!

[geekymommy]

I'm face-blind. I have to see someone a number of times before there's much chance I'll recognize them if I see them again, unless they have some really distinctive feature. I really have trouble recognizing people in unfamiliar contexts- say, if I see someone I've seen at DD's day care at the grocery store. If people say hi to me in public, I will say hi and try to act like I recognize them, even though I very often don't. I tend not to go to things like informal mums' groups where people show up some times and not others, because I'm so likely not to recognize people. I used to work at a place where everyone had to wear a name badge at all times, and I love it. If I ever become ruler of the world, everyone will be required to wear a name badge at all times when they are in public.

[badRoly]

I tell people who know the area that I'm from York, but really I'm from Selby

[Whiteshirt]

I'm slightly [hmmm] at the idea that those of us who don't lie in order to have other people think more highly of us are lying to ourselves.

I cannot honestly imagine minding what other people think enough to pretend I do something I don't, or like something I don't. I think Heat magazine is stupid and misogynistic, and reality tv is aimed at the lobotomised, but why would my opinion matter to you more than your own? You like it, so why does someone else matter?

I have four degrees and a comparatively highbrow academic job, but it wouldn't occur to me to hide my slightly masochistic adoration of the Chalet School books, Bananarama and fizzy cola bottles, despite the fact that i also like opera, modernist art and Thomas Mann?

My white lies tend to be to soften difficult situations, like a friend's new novel in draft being a bit mad.

[BitOutOfPractice]

I only buy Pot Noodles when I'm having the shopping delivered

[madasa]

I buy phenergan over the counter at the chemist because I am desperate for sleep....the pharmacist always asks what it is for...I say it's for my daughter's travel sickness...I use different chemists

[NoImSpartacus]

I lie about being a vegetarian because I hate being judged for it. I know, I should grow up, it's a nice thing to do, I do it because I love animals, but I work with a lot of guys and they seem to think its akin to beating up old ladies or something! People get so emotional about meat eating, I just can't be arsed with the conflict it causes. At 40 I know I shouldn't care but people are SO opinionated about it, and I don't want to have to spend my time debating it (like I did throughout my 20s and 30s).