Here's why:
* The literal image: Imagine a magician using smoke and mirrors to create illusions. The smoke obscures the real objects, and the mirrors reflect images that seem real but are actually distorted.
* The metaphorical meaning: The phrase "smoking mirrors" applies to situations where someone is using distractions, tricks, or superficial appearances to conceal something important. They might be:
* Hiding a problem: They might use "smoke" (excuses, distractions) to hide a problem they don't want to deal with.
* Creating false impressions: They might use "mirrors" (false promises, misleading information) to create an illusion of something that isn't actually true.
Examples of using "smoking mirrors":
* "The company's financial report is full of smoking mirrors, hiding their actual debt."
* "The politician's campaign promises are nothing but smoking mirrors, designed to get votes."
* "The relationship is built on smoking mirrors; they're pretending everything is fine when it's clearly not."
Essentially, "smoking mirrors" suggests that something is not as it seems, and there's a hidden reality behind the facade.