A crying shame

[Werdna]

Test No. incompl/inter-43 "A Crying Shame", question 8

The trouble is that he's cried ......... so often that now he's in real trouble, nobody believes him.

(a) wolf
(b) tiger
(c) cat
(d) dog

Test No. incompl/inter-43 "A Crying Shame", answer 8

The trouble is that he's cried wolf so often that now he's in real trouble, nobody believes him.

Correct answer: (a) wolf

Your answer was: correct
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Could you please explain the expression "to cry wolf" and give may be sinonym phrase of it.

Thanks a lot!
Werdna

[Alan]

This expression refers to someone who asks for help again and again when it's not necessary and then when it really is needed, no-one takes any notice.
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Saying It Twice

[Mosteque]

It probably stems from a fable. I vaguely remember that it was about a kiddo standing at the crossroad and crying that a wolf was attacking him. And when ppl came to help him, he was laughing at them. And once a real wolf attacked him and nobody came to help thinking that it was another of his stupid jokes.
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obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit

[Rich7]

humn ?? king of the jungle maybe ???

[Mosteque]

no no, it was rather sth by Grimm Brothers
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obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit

[Englishholic]

Isn't the word "that" missing in-between "now" and "he's"?
Englishholic

[Alan]

How many 'thats' do you want?

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Relative Pronoun

[Yankee]

.
Now that you ask, I'd agree that the word 'that' seems to be missing from the test sentence in exactly the spot EH pointed out.

If it's an overabundance of the word 'that' that worries you, a tiny bit of rewording might do the trick. For example, this would reduce the use of 'that' to just one or two:

The trouble is (that) he's cried wolf far too often, and now that he's in real trouble, nobody believes him.
.

[Lost_Soul]

[Alan]

Hi,

Now We Are Six

or maybe a bit older

pace A A Milne.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Word Story: Jokes

[Minnie]

There is a Chinese fable about a child who's a son of a farmer cried wolf,and he finally died.