Question

Swallow Hook, Line, and Sinker to believe a story completely without questioning it; to be very gullible

Accepted Answer

Louie swallowed that story about the ghost hook, line, and sinker. This American expression from the 1800s may be based on an older British saying from the 1500s, "to swallow a gudgeon." A gudgeon is a small fish, like a minnow, that was often used as bait by fishermen. An unlucky fish usually swallows just the bait on the hook, but if it also swallows the fishing line and the lead sinker as well, it has gobbled up a lot. That's like a trusting person who accepts anything and everything he or she is told without thinking about whether or not it's true.

Idiom	Swallow Hook, Line, and Sinker
Example	Louie swallowed that story about the ghost hook, line, and sinker.
Meaning	to believe a story completely without questioning it; to be very gullible
Origin	This American expression from the 1800s may be based on an older British saying from the 1500s, "to swallow a gudgeon." A gudgeon is a small fish, like a minnow, that was often used as bait by fishermen. An unlucky fish usually swallows just the bait on the hook, but if it also swallows the fishing line and the lead sinker as well, it has gobbled up a lot. That's like a trusting person who accepts anything and everything he or she is told without thinking about whether or not it's true.

Hook Sinker Swallow Line Story Bait Louie Swallowed