out of whole cloth

O

out of whole cloth (idiom)
/aʊt əv hoʊl klɔθ/

Variants

• made out of whole cloth
• cut from whole cloth

Meaning

• Fabricated entirely; without any basis in fact. This definition indicates that something is completely made up, with no grounding in reality.
• Created from pure imagination; wholly fictitious. This suggests that a story or claim is entirely invented, lacking any factual foundation.
• Utterly false; completely fabricated. This denotes that something is entirely untrue and has been concocted without any factual basis.

Example Sentences

1. The entire story he told about meeting a famous celebrity was made out of whole cloth to impress his friends.
2. The journalist was criticized for writing articles out of whole cloth, lacking any credible sources.
3. She claimed to have a degree, but it turned out to be out of whole cloth.
4. His alibi was dismissed as it was clearly made out of whole cloth.
5. The rumor about the company’s bankruptcy was made out of whole cloth.
6. Politicians sometimes create narratives out of whole cloth to sway public opinion.

Origin and History

The term “whole cloth” originally referred to a complete, uncut piece of fabric as produced by a loom. In the 15th century, this denoted a full-sized piece of cloth, distinguishing it from remnants or pieces cut from a larger fabric.

Transition to Figurative Usage

By the early 19th century, particularly in the United States, “out of whole cloth” began to acquire a figurative meaning. It described something entirely fabricated or fictitious, akin to creating a story from nothing. This shift is evidenced by an 1843 citation: “Isn’t this entire story… made out of whole cloth?”

Theories Behind the Figurative Meaning

Several theories attempt to explain this semantic shift:

1. Deceptive Tailoring Practices: Some suggest that 19th-century tailors falsely advertised garments as being made from “whole cloth” when, in reality, they were pieced together from scraps. This deception may have led to the association of “whole cloth” with fabrication and falsehood.
2. Creation Ex Nihilo: Another theory posits that creating something “out of whole cloth” implies bringing it into existence from nothing, much like fabricating a lie without any factual basis.

Earliest Printed Record

The earliest known printed record of the figurative use of “out of whole cloth” dates back to 1840 in Thomas Chandler Haliburton’s “The Clockmaker”:

“All that talk about her temper was made out of whole cloth… What a fib!”

Synonyms

• pull out of thin air
• made up
• fabricated
• invented
• concocted
• fictitious

Clothes