Characters
In the world of advertising, there’s no such thing as a lie. There’s only expedient exaggeration.
— Roger Thornhill · North by Northwest
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
Roger gives advertising a slick excuse for stretching the truth. Calling a lie an expedient exaggeration makes it sound like a professional skill instead of dishonesty. It's a cynical, witty way to say the smile on a sales pitch may not be entirely honest.
Context reviewed