eli5 Where did the phrase “blowing smoke” come from? What does it have to do with lying?

Question

eli5 Where did the phrase “blowing smoke” come from? What does it have to do with lying?

In: Other

Answer 1

There was a time in England where they thought that someone who had drowned could be saved by blowing tobacco smoke up their backside. This was so prevalent that bellows and tobacco were stationed along the Thames. As it turns out, that doesn’t work all that well as a treatment for drowning, so it’s become synonymous with falsehood.