Oh my God! It's true!?
It's terrible when a known bullshitter turns out to be totally on the level.

Will told the most incredible stories about his times in Vietnam as a marine - 20' tall pot plants everywhere; hiding in the jungle on recon missions; serving at the embassy, thus knowing many dignitaries, etc.

He told stories of his hunting exploits, a fair topic for exaggeration -- but his stories put Field & Stream to shame. All his shots hit; every hunt bagged record and trophy game; etc.

Will's prowess with the ladies was also the stuff of legends, of course, as told by himself. Princesses, fashion models, a constant stream of local beauties (who we never saw).

All this was just considered part and parcel of being Will's friend -- he was a decent guy other than his tendency to bullshit, and his stories were interesting.

Then the world turned upside-down. Will returned from a trip overseas claiming to have found record specimens of rare shells, and discovered a new species. Another local diver, having heard one to many stories of Will's exploits, called him out, in front of witnesses.

Rather than making excuses, Will led us to his apartment, someplace we'd never been. In the spare bedroom was a wall of slid-out steel drawer cabinets, chuck full of the best shell collection you'll ever see outside a museum, including the specimens in question, and enough reference books to satisfy any expert.

So the question is, what about the rest of his exploits? Is our friend a true hero and rennaisance man, or was it just lucky that he was called to deliver on that area of expertise?
(danalan Pretty good, for an amateur., Fri 14 Jan 2011, 5:59, 2 replies)

Well played by Will, I'd say.
The trick to bullshitting is to lace it with strange but genuine truths that you can back up.

Eg bullshitting children. I play the part well of being the silly/mad uncle, so when I informed the nephews and neices that a baby rabbit is called a kitten, they all jeered and called me out.

I got out the encyclopedia, dictionary, and pulled up Google, and now I can tell them that sheep grow from the wooly seeds found in fields and they don't bat an eyelid.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Fri 14 Jan 2011, 10:57, closed)

You don't know, man
You weren't there!
( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Fri 14 Jan 2011, 15:49, closed)