To cry wolf means to ask for help when it is not needed. It usually signifies a deliberate attempt to receive unnecessary assistance rather than a lack of self confidence in thinking that one can't perform a task alone.

Aesop was a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BC. His collection of fables were stories that contained or illustrated truths. In his story, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" a young shepherd boy is lonely and bored tending sheep. He rouses the village by yelling "Wolf!" and the villagers rush to his aid. He is so pleased by the response that he does the same thing several days later and the villagers once again rushed to his aid only to again find no evidence of a wolf. Sadly for the boy, and the sheep, when a wolf did appear shortly afterwards and the boy cried for help, the villagers did not believe him and did not come to help and thus the boy lost some of his flock. Aesop provided a moral with his fables and this one was " A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth".

Use Example - I'm not helping Jim with his project, he has cried wolf once too often for me.

Source Tags : Aesop's Fables  Books     Concept Tags : Dishonest   Animal