A whopper
Meaning
An unusually large or impressive example of something, often used to describe a blatant lie.
Origin
Imagine the force of a sudden, powerful blow—a 'whop!' That's the root of 'a whopper.' Originally, 'whop' meant to strike hard, and by the 18th century, it was used to describe something remarkably large or impressive, like a 'whopping' size or a 'whopping' success. The idea that something so spectacularly big or outrageous it must be untrue naturally followed. By the mid-19th century, 'a whopper' was firmly established in English slang, not just for an impressively large catch, but also for a truly extravagant, unbelievable lie, delivered with such conviction it almost knocks you off your feet.
Examples
- He told everyone he caught a whopper of a fish, claiming it weighed over fifty pounds.
- That story about seeing a unicorn in the garden sounds like a whopper to me.