sail under false colors

English

Verb

sail under false colors (third-person singular simple present sails under false colors, present participle sailing under false colors, simple past and past participle sailed under false colors)

1. (idiomatic, nautical, obsolete) To deceive or intentionally mystify.
   • 1869, Annie Thomas, “Miss Vargrave Nearly Lands a Fish”, in False Colours. […], volume II, London: Tinsley Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 251:

     They were all not exactly sailing under false colours, but deceiving themselves as to their motives—and one another, to a lesser degree, by their actions.

See also

• With flying colors on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

• Breverton, Terry (2004, Pelican Publishing Company)."sailing under false colors." The pirate's dictionary.
• (1877, Oxford House.) "Correspondence." British journal of dental science, Volume 20.
• Lennox, Doug (2007, Dundurn Press Ltd.). "Why when someone we trusted turns against us do we say "he's shown his true colours"?" Now You Know Big Book of Answers.
• Thomas, Annie (1869, Tinsley Borthers). "Miss Vargrave nearly lands a fish." False Colours.