Liars' Favourite Words

In Cosmopolitan's "8 Words That Give A Liar Away" article, they asked lie detection expert Janine Driver which words are commonly used by liars. In the article, the context is how to tell if your guy is lying to you.

Left: I left the bar at six vs. I went home at six.
Never: Using 'never' when 'no' will do.
That: Especially in front of a noun—that woman, that money, etc.
Would: He skips no and goes straight to beginning his sentence with 'would.'
Yes ma'am: Unless he's a Southern gentleman, these words apparently indicate he's stressed and knows he's in trouble.
By the way: This minimizes what they say next.
But: Strategy to downplay what they say.
Why would I do that?: A favourite stalling line of liars.

So, here goes—allow me some creative freedom—if you ever hear this from your technician, red flags should be going up (according to the word list).

“I left that car running for a bit and saw the pressure drop a lot. I suspect it's a leak in one of the hoses, but I would never do repairs before getting the ok from you—why would I do that? I've got more sense than that, yes ma'am. By the way, the cost of my diagnosis so far is about $400 . . . sign right here.”

RUN!!! Don't walk. Run away from that shop!

Thanks, Cosmo. Of course, you know I write this post in jest. Apologies to any technician who actually honestly uttered those sentences.

Humour aside, read this for tips to tell if your technician's honest.