According to several different dictionaries, the term “trumped up” was first used in 1728. It appears to have meant “to deceive or cheat”. It did not always have a completely evil connotation. It was also used to mean someone offering an “imaginative use of truth” (like a kid saying it was the monster under the bed that spilled his milk).

Today, truth often comes at a premium. Those speaking it can often be derided, even harmed, by those who are “unhappy” with facing that particular truth. Figuring out when we are being told or shown the truth – rather than the “Trumped Up Truth” is important.

This isn’t a political message. It is meant, like all my work, to spur your imagination and conversation. The “Plain Truth” is we all need to think a lot more about the life we live and the life we want to leave behind us. Happy musing!