AEE: Not Gonna Lie, This Episode Will Keep You Honest

Summary

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Podcast Summary: All Ears English – "Not Gonna Lie, This Episode Will Keep You Honest"

Date: August 23, 2025
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan

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Overview

This episode delves into the everyday language and idioms that Americans use when talking about lying. Lindsay and Michelle guide learners through practical English expressions containing the word "lie", exploring both their usage and cultural connotations. They use relatable examples, mini role-plays, and real-world context—all with an eye to helping listeners connect, not just communicate perfectly.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why Talk About Lying? (00:59–02:07)

• Lying is a pervasive part of American culture, reflected in movies, the news, and daily interactions.
• The hosts introduce the episode as a way to make this common topic more accessible and engaging for English learners.
• Fluency and Connection: It's not just vocabulary, but knowing natural and creative ways to talk about everyday experiences.

2. Warm-Up: Personal Stories about Lying (02:07–03:33)

• Michelle admits she's tired and jokes about her husband delaying getting out of bed—a “truth comes out” moment.
• Both hosts discuss “little fibs” and common white lies, such as telling someone you're closer to arriving than you really are.
• Quote:

"This is the lie that will always be caught, right?" – Lindsay (03:22)

3. Listener Poll: How Do You Feel About Long Flights? (04:04–05:30)

• The results are evenly split between listeners loving, hating, or being indifferent toward long flights.
• Discuss how people see the world differently—relevant to the discussion about lying and honesty.

4. Key English Expressions about Lying (from 05:30 onward)

a. "Not Gonna Lie" (05:30–07:36)

• Definition: A casual, trendy way to introduce honesty, often before expressing a blunt or sincere opinion.
• Usage:
  • “Not gonna lie, these French fries are the best I've ever had.”
  • “Not gonna lie, I skipped the gym this morning.”
• Formality: Very casual; common among millennials and Gen X, possibly less among Gen Z.
• Quote:

"It's a kind of slang. It sounds a little bit younger. Yeah, it's casual. It's trendy right now. It's been trendy for a long time." – Lindsay (05:40)

b. "Catch Someone in a Lie" (07:38–08:47)

• Definition: To realize or discover that someone is lying, either in the moment or afterward.
• Examples:
  • “She caught her boyfriend in a lie when she found the ring.”
  • “If I catch you in a lie, I'll never trust you again.”
• Discussion: Trust is hard to rebuild after a lie.
• Quote:

"That’s really hard. You know, when someone lies early on in a relationship, how do you trust them again?" – Lindsay (08:32)

c. "Lie Through Your Teeth" (09:46–10:17)

• Definition: To lie boldly and without shame.
• Examples:
  • “I think she was lying through her teeth. There's no way she met Beyoncé.”
  • “Oh, come on. You're lying through your teeth. I saw you drop that on the floor.”
• Spelling Note:
  • “Lie” (verb) → “Lying” (progressive); L-Y-I-N-G (spelling is tricky for native speakers too).

d. "Lie to Someone's Face" (11:02–11:39)

• Definition: To lie directly and openly to a person.
• Examples:
  • “He lied to my face and told me he didn’t eat the last cookie, but I knew he did.”
  • “Please don’t lie to my face. I know what happened.”
• Insight: Considered more bold and hurtful than indirect lying.

e. "Lie by Omission" (11:42–12:21)

• Definition: Not telling the whole truth, leaving out important information.
• Example:
  • Complimenting only the earrings when you really think your friend's whole outfit doesn't suit her is a “lie by omission.”
• Quote:

“A lie is not always what we say. Sometimes it's what we don’t say.” – Lindsay (11:49)

• Hosts' Favorite: Michelle finds “lie by omission” most interesting.

5. Cultural References: Lying in Media (13:08–13:53)

• Lindsay mentions the TV show "Younger," where the main character lies about her age to get a job, exploring the complexities of honesty and ageism in America.
• Quote:

“It’s jarring when someone tells you they’re 26, and they’re actually 40.” – Lindsay (13:39)

6. Role-Play: Expressions in Action (14:02–15:26)

• Sisters at a hotel—using idioms in a natural, comedic mini-script.
  • “I can’t believe they lied to my face at the front desk and said breakfast is free when it’s not.”
  • “It was a lie by omission.”
  • “Not gonna lie, this place is giving me a bad impression.”
  • “We caught them in a lie!”

7. Takeaways & Why it Matters for Connection (15:38–16:48)

• Using these phrases helps express nuance and adds authenticity to conversations.
• Lying is a theme in much of American media and everyday life, so having richer language supports deeper cultural and interpersonal “connection—not perfection.”
• Quote:

“Having these phrases when you talk about what you’ve read in the news, what movie you saw, what TV show you’re watching—that’s a connection skill right there. Not just to say ‘he lied’. Say something more creative.” – Lindsay (16:05)

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• "This is the lie that will always be caught, right?" – Lindsay (03:22)
• "It's a kind of slang. It sounds a little bit younger." – Lindsay (05:40)
• "If I catch you in a lie, I'll never trust you again. It's a good question, right?" – Lindsay (08:32)
• “A lie is not always what we say. Sometimes it's what we don’t say.” – Lindsay (11:49)
• “Not gonna lie, this place is giving me a bad impression.” – Michelle, in the role play (14:23)
• “Having these phrases...that’s a connection skill right there. Not just to say he lied. Say something more creative.” – Lindsay (16:05)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:59 — Introduction: Why talk about lying in English?
• 02:07 — Sharing little white lies and personal stories
• 04:04 — Listener poll & cultural perspectives
• 05:30 — Idiomatic expressions start: "Not gonna lie"
• 07:38 — "Catch someone in a lie"
• 09:46 — "Lie through your teeth"
• 11:02 — "Lie to someone's face"
• 11:42 — "Lie by omission"
• 13:08 — Lying in American media ("Younger" example)
• 14:02 — Role-play of idioms in a hotel
• 15:38 — Takeaway: How these phrases enrich connection

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Final Thoughts

This episode provides not just vocabulary, but a window into the way Americans approach directness, honesty, and the subtleties of communication. With lively examples and down-to-earth explanations, Lindsay and Michelle help listeners aim for authentic connection, not just textbook perfection.

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Listen for: Playful banter, hands-on role play, and culturally rich context.
Recommended for: Intermediate–advanced learners who want to sound more natural and understand everyday American expressions about truth and honesty.

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Transcript

[A]

This is the All Ears English podcast. Not gonna lie. This episode will keep you honest. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast. Downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer and Michelle Kaplan, New York radio girl. Coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the Allears English app for iOS and Android. Start your 7 day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.

[B]

Lying is a huge part of our culture. In movies, in news stor, and sometimes in our daily lives. But how can we talk about it in a way that is more creative and interesting? Find out today.

[A]

Your English is strong. You can hold conversations, handle meetings, even read reports. But sometimes you still hesitate before speaking or your English feels a little too formal, not quite natural. That's the final gap. Fluency and Connection. Want to know what's holding you back? Take our fluency quiz. In just two minutes, you'll discover your English level and how you can improve it. Start [e-mail] fluencyscore that's allearsenglish.com F L U E N C Y S C O R E hey, Michelle, how's it going? Don't lie to me. Tell me how you're really doing.

[B]

How I'm really doing. Oh, I'm a little tired today. I, you know, normally Dan gets up a little bit earlier with the kids and today he kept on saying, 10 more minutes, 10 more minutes. And I was like.

[A]

Comes out. The truth comes out.

[B]

Truth comes out. So, no, so I'm a little tired, but I'm, I'm always happy to record. I feel like our recording is kind of a natural cup of coffee.

[A]

It really is. It really is. It's the best. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So Lindsay, though, have you ever caught someone in a lie?

[A]

Oh, politicians, I catch them in lies all the time, Michelle.

[B]

Constantly.

[A]

But someone in my life, maybe, maybe a family member or something over something. But usually you can kind of dig in and understand what happened.

[B]

Right.

[A]

What was going on there?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What were the dynamics sometimes?

[B]

I mean, I, I feel like you can catch someone in a fib, which is may a smaller kind of lie. But I, I, I think that I catch my, I've pro, I'm sure I've caught my brother in little fibs about how far away he really is. Yeah. You know. Yeah, yeah. Oh, I'll be there in 10 minutes. Oh, I'm here. You're not really? There are no.

[A]

That I don't understand when people kind of lie about like how soon they'll be there cuz they're going to eventually end up arriving late. It makes no sense. This is the lie that will always be caught. Right?

[B]

Exactly. Exactly. So guys, today we're going to talk about expressions dealing worth with the word lie. Okay? And it came from an episode idea that I thought of about. Well, it's the first expression that we're really going to teach, so I wanted to do something on that. And then this whole idea about lies came out. So we're gonna get into it in a second. But guys, we want to remind you to hit follow wherever you are listening to the All Ears English podcast.

[A]

Hit that follow button. And Michelle, we have a poll to share today from Spotify. Remember guys, you can only participate in these polls if you're listening over in Spotify. So maybe go over to Spotify and check it out. Make your voice heard on the show. What did we ask? What episode was this from?

[B]

This was fun. This room was from episode 2435. And it was. This is an awesome episode. Take our word for it. Yes. And Lindsay, what was the question?

[A]

Yeah, the question was, how do you feel about long flights now? We actually had an interesting, pretty even breakdown.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Here.

[B]

This is interesting. Yeah.

[A]

But I can understand that because everyone sees the world a little differently. Like some people might answer that and say, well, long flight means I'm going somewhere far away, which is exciting. You know, other people might just focus on the fact that I'm sitting in a plane seat with possibly an annoying neighbor for 12 hours. Right. So what were the results?

[B]

All right, so the options were love them, hate them or indifference. So love them was 35 of the people who've answered and hate them was also 35. Wow. And then indifferent was 29. Or I guess 30. Okay. We have some world, so. Yeah, very pretty even.

[A]

Yeah, we have some world travelers in our audience. Audience here. And it kind of makes sense. It just. We all see the world differently. You know, we all focus on different things. That's the cool part, right?

[B]

Yeah, exactly. All right, let's get into it. So the first one which inspired this episode is do you ever hear people saying not gonna lie?

[A]

Oh, for sure, for sure. All the time. It's a kind of slang. It sounds a little bit younger. Yeah, it's casual. It's trendy right now. It's been trendy For a long time. That's one of the ones.

[B]

A long time.

[A]

I think since I was in college or something.

[B]

Right. That's what I. Well, you know, again with. Sometimes when we say something sounds a little younger, is it younger or is it from when we were younger? Because the young people today are saying something totally different.

[A]

Yeah, they're probably not saying that. I know that's true.

[B]

It's just.

[A]

It's what it is. It stuck around with millennials and Gen X.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Since the 90s, let's say.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Much.

[B]

Right, exactly. So. But. So people say this. I mean, I wouldn't say this sounds super formal. I think it's very, very, very casual. But pre comment. So somebody might just say something simple like, not gonna lie. These French fries are the best I've ever had.

[A]

Yeah. You're just telling the truth. Right. Not gonna lie. I skipped the gym this morning. Okay.

[B]

Or not gonna lie. Do you think you should consider applying to that job? So even if you're introducing an idea, maybe that's, you know, a little touchy. Right. And it doesn't have to be a. About a huge thing. I mean, not gonna lie. That distress is not fitting me very well.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, basically what you're saying is I'm gonna be honest here.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I'm gonna be totally upfront with you and tell the truth. Yeah. Yes, tell the truth.

[B]

Yeah. So that. That's a fun one. Lindsay, do you say it or do you kind of feel that it's a little too.

[A]

Sure, I say this sometimes. No, I do, absolutely. Still when I, you know, occasionally when I feel like I need to be upfront, I do think, you know, we've talked on this show before, as a connection skill, we need a way to warm someone up when we're about to be very upfront and direct. Right. In American English. We do. And so this is one of the ways we do it. So I still find this useful. Yeah, yeah, Right.

[B]

Definitely.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So the next one is. I believe this is how I opened the episode. I asked you, have you ever caught someone in a lie? Right. So what does that mean, Cat, to catch someone in a lie?

[A]

No, lie just means you notice that they're lying. You realize that they've lied or are lying about something. It could be you realize it after. That would still qualify. Or I caught them in a lie. It doesn't have to be in that moment, but sometimes it is in that moment. There's a lot. I feel like you always read some pseudo science about how people will move their Eyes to the corners, like right, left when they're lying. Or. Or, well, with lie detectors. Right. I'm not sure whether those work or not, but, you know, your pulse increases. All these things that pseudoscience says we can tell if someone's lying.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Who knows if it's true?

[B]

Yeah. Who knows? But. Yeah. So you might say she caught her boyfriend in a lie when he said he wasn't propos closing for another month. She found the ring.

[A]

Oh. Or if I catch you in a lie, I'll never trust you again. Yeah, that's really hard. You know, when someone lies early on in a relationship, how do you trust them again? It's a good question, right?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah. It's very hard. It can take. It can either never happen or it can take a very long time. Like a lot of healing needs to happen.

[A]

Absolutely.

[C]

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[A]

All right. There's other ways that we say this or other things we can say related to lie. These don't all mean the same thing. Just to make it clear, guys, just different expressions having to do with lying. Because it's definitely. I guess it's. Many people have the value not to lie. Not everyone has the value. Right. Values aren't always universal, but many people do.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Lie through your teeth.

[B]

Ooh.

[A]

Yeah. Okay, tell me about this.

[B]

Yeah, this is a lying in a big way, maybe, you know, just a. A big lie. So you could say, I think she was lying through her teeth. There's no way she met Beyonce. Yeah. Or.

[A]

Oh, come on. You're lying through your teeth. I saw you drop that on the floor. So you're just. It's a way of like calling someone out. I see that you're lying. You're saying this ridiculous thing, but you're actually lying. Right.

[B]

Right. Yeah. And I wanted to point out something about the word lie and lying. Are they spelled in the same way?

[A]

Is it.

[B]

How do you spell lying?

[A]

Good question. Did you research? This one's hard. So this is. As a native speaker of English and even a teacher of English, this is one that I research sometimes before I write it in a text message. But we See, based on our prep today, that to the verb is lie and the ing form, the progressive form, is L, Y, I, n. Right, yes, that can be a tricky one. Right?

[B]

Yes, exactly. So, and the next one is to lie to someone's face. So. Yeah, just how it sounds. I mean, you lie right in front.

[A]

Of someone as opposed to, you know, there are other ways of lying which would be maybe starting rumors where you're not talking directly to someone. That's what this expression is highlighting. You stood there, you said a lie right in front of me. You know, the presumption is that that takes more guts or is more jarring for people, more hurtful potentially. Right, right.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So he lied to my face and told me he didn't eat the last cookie, but I knew he did or.

[A]

Please don't lie to my face. I know what happened. Ooh, sounds like a heated domestic argument.

[B]

Yes, exactly. Yes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then this one I love. Okay, this is the last one we're gonna do. Lie by omission.

[A]

Yes. Yeah. This is interesting, right? Because a lie is not always what we say. Sometimes it's what we don't say. Right, right.

[B]

So you just leave something out. An omission, Right, That's a good word to learn. So, yeah, it's. You're leaving something out. Like for example, if your friend asks you how she looks and you tell her you love her earrings. Right. So. And you don't think she looks good, but you're leaving that out by giving her a compliment about something else.

[A]

Right, Totally. Yeah, exactly. I love that you could say something like it wasn't a lie. Maybe a lie by omission. Yeah. Which one's your favorite here, Michelle? What do you, what do you use in your real life?

[B]

Okay, I think my favorite is lie by omission because. Yeah, that to me is the most interesting. What do I use most in my life? I. I mean, I guess I would if I. Maybe I would say lie to someone's face.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, luckily I don't feel like I'm around a lot of life. Yeah.

[B]

Yes, exactly. That's the great. That's a good part. I don't have to use these that much, but if I'm watching tv, I might say, oh, he's lying to her face. Or. Right.

[A]

I mentioned before the new series that I've been watching younger, about a 4 year 40 year old woman who couldn't get a job in Publishing at 40 in New York. There's some ageism happening there for sure. So she decided just to lie and say she's 26. She got the job right away and is still working at the place. But now people are finding out.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Gradually over time, and then they're struggling dealing with how they feel about her because she's been lying, literally. I mean, it's. It's jarring when someone tells you they're four, they're 26, and they're actually 40.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Can you imagine?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, it seems like it's. It. It seems like, oh, why would that be that big of a deal? But it is, you know, if you. When you get to know somebody and to find out something is just not true about them.

[A]

And then you think about, like, the ageism, especially for women, the challenges of someone getting a job. It's complex, actually. Really interesting.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Shall we break this down into a role play? Because our listeners love role plays.

[B]

It down. Here we go. We are sisters at a hotel.

[A]

All right, here we go. Here we go.

[B]

All right. Wow. I can't believe they lied to my face at the front desk and said breakfast is free when it's not.

[A]

Well, the basic breakfast is free, just not upgrades. So it was a lie by omission.

[B]

The worst kind. Not gonna lie. This place has given me a bad impression.

[A]

I get it. We caught them in a lie. Oh, I don't like when hotels mess with my breakfast. Don't mess with my breakfast.

[B]

Don't mess with Lind. These breakfast. On today's episode of Allers English, we learn. Yep.

[A]

I. I'm definitely like one of those people. I need to eat in the morning. I can't do, like, just a piece of bread. I don't know. I don't get how that works because I'm. I am, like, ready to pass out by 10am If I do that.

[B]

So I. I eat a pretty. Pretty big breakfast. Yeah.

[A]

Anyway, so. All right, let's go through this. So we said here, you said, wow, I can't believe they lied to my face at the front desk.

[B]

Yes. And then you said, well, the basic breakfast is free, just not the upgrades. So it was a lie by omission. So they left something out.

[A]

Yes. Excellent. And then you said the worst kind. So you feel passionate about that. Not gonna lie. This place is giving me a bad impression. Yeah.

[B]

And then you said, I get it. We caught them in a lie. So we're not gonna necessarily say lie over and over like this. This is one of those things. Situations. But I mean. And we're different expressions, so. Yeah, could happen.

[A]

Sure. Absolutely. What's the takeaway today, Michelle? Why does this matter? For connection.

[B]

Yeah. Well, hopefully you're not lying and hopefully no one is lying to you. Yeah. But there are even other ways to use these and that don't, you know, if you're, if, if you're not being lied to all the time, you know, things like not gonna lie. That's really useful. Live by omission is really useful. They're all useful. Hopefully you don't need to use. Yeah.

[A]

And I would also just say that lying is such a big part of, like our movies, media, you know, culture, stories we hear about on the news. It's just everywhere around us, unfortunately. And so having these phrases when you talk about what you've read in the news, what movie you saw, what TV show you're watching, that's a connection skill right there. Not just to say he lied. Don't just say that. Say something more creative. Right, right. Yes.

[B]

Right? Yeah, yeah, really good point there. Yeah. I'm glad we talked about this today, guys. Tell the truth. And I'm sure, you know, we, we should definitely do a follow up episode at some time, at some point soon. Guys, hit follow. I'm sure we'll do one about truth. Maybe we'll do the other side.

[A]

Yeah, the other side of the coin, right? The other side of life. I love it. All right, good stuff, Michelle. Looking forward to that one. And we'll talk to you soon.

[B]

All right, Bye, Lindsay. Bye, guys.

[A]

Bye. Thanks for Listen Allears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our 2 minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com fluencyscore and if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.

[D]

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