Cry wolf

The phrase "Cry wolf" originated from one of Aesop's fables, where a shepherd boy repeatedly tricked villagers into thinking a wolf was attacking his flock when it was not true. Eventually, when a wolf actually did appear and attacked the sheep, the boy cried for help, but the villagers did not believe him and did not come to his aid. Thus, to "cry wolf" means to give a false alarm or repeatedly raise a false alarm about a certain situation or danger, causing others to distrust future claims or potentially ignore legitimate warnings. It refers to the act of deceiving or lying in order to gain attention or create unnecessary panic, ultimately leading to a lack of credibility.