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Porkies Meaning - Streetionary

Porkies (noun / UK Slang)

(Also heard as: Porky pies, Telling porkies, Porky)

Definition:

Porkies is British slang for lies. To “tell porkies” means to lie, and a “porky” is a single untruth.

Where Porkies Comes From:

It is Cockney rhyming slang: “pork pie” rhymes with “lie”, and “porky pies” became “porkies”. It spread from London to the rest of the UK in the 20th century and is now widely understood, including by people who have no idea it started as rhyming slang.

How People Actually Use Porkies:

It usually has a light, teasing tone. Parents accuse children of telling porkies, friends call out exaggerations, and newspapers use it in headlines about politicians who are caught being untruthful. It makes a lie sound less serious than the word itself.

Is Porkies Rude?

No. It is mild and humorous. Accusing someone of telling porkies is still an accusation, so tone matters, but the word itself is not offensive.

Examples in the Wild:

“Don’t tell me porkies, I saw you do it.”
Meaning: Do not lie to me, I saw what happened.
“He told a right porky about where he was.”
Meaning: He told a big lie about his whereabouts.
“That excuse is pure porkies.”
Meaning: That excuse is a pack of lies.