I don’t buy it (idiom)
2016.11.02
Meaning:
In some situations we can use ‘to buy’ to mean ‘to believe’. We usually use this to talk about whether we think something is the truth or a lie. This is because when people lie they are really ‘selling’ an idea or a story etc. This expression is a little casual – don’t use it in formal, written English.
Example:
A: So Daniel says the boss hates me…
B: Nah, I don’t buy that. Daniel is jealous of you. Don’t listen to him.
OR
A: Sue told me that the new Oxford dictionary has removed the word ‘gullible’.
B: Oh my God! That’s an old joke. Did you buy it???
A: Yes, I completely bought it. But English is my second language! I didn’t know what gullible meant. So of course I believed it.
Talking Point(s):
When was the last time someone lied to you? Did you buy it?