Origin:
The phrase comes from the idea of creating cloth by weaving threads together. "Whole cloth" refers to a single piece of cloth, implying that nothing was borrowed or reused. Thus, to create something "out of whole cloth" suggests that it was made entirely from scratch, with no preexisting material.
Examples:
* "The story about the talking cat was completely created out of whole cloth by the mischievous child."
* "The politician's promises were made out of whole cloth and had no connection to reality."
Similar phrases:
* Fabricated
* Made up
* Invented
* Imagined
* A fabrication
* A lie
* A hoax