A lie from beginning to end is said to be made up out of whole cloth.
1843. Isn’t this entire story about your Jersey grandmother made out of whole cloth? spun on your own wheel, with your head for the distaff and your tongue for the spindle?—Cornelius Mathews, ‘Writings,’ p. 68.
1853. Some said a bran new organ was going to be made right up out of whole cloth, and an editor was going to be brought up from New Hampshire to edit it.—Seba Smith (‘Major Downing’), ‘My Thirty Years Out of the Senate,’ p. 405 (1860).
1888. There is on truth whatever in the statement, which was manufactured out of whole cloth.—St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 29 (Farmer).
