From whole cloth

Origin

Imagine a skilled weaver, meticulously working at their loom, creating a tapestry or piece of fabric from scratch, thread by thread, until it stands as a complete, unbroken piece—a "whole cloth." This creation is entirely their own, not a fragment cut from a larger bolt, but a distinct, finished work. The phrase, emerging in the 19th century, took this image and applied it to stories or claims. When something is "from whole cloth," it signifies that, much like the weaver's finished fabric, the tale or accusation is a complete fabrication, spun entirely from imagination with no shred of pre-existing reality to form its base. It's a testament to the power of pure invention, for better or worse.