acting, affectation, alibi, allege, alternative, appearance, attitudinizing, avow, bluff, bluffing, camouflage, cheating, choice, claim, cloak, color, coloring, cover, cover story, deception, delusion, disguise, dissemblance, dissembling, dissimulation, escape clause, escape hatch, excuse, explanation, facade, face, fakery, faking, false air, false front, false show, falsity, feigning, feint, four-flushing, fraud, front, gilt, gloss, guise, humbug, humbuggery, imposture, loophole, masquerade, meretriciousness, ostentation, outward show, playacting, plea, pose, posing, posture, pretend, pretense, pretension, profess, protest too much, purport, rational ground, rationale, rationalization, reason, reason for, reason why, red herring, representation, right, ruse, saving clause, seeming, semblance, sham, show, simulacrum, simulation, speciousness, stated cause, the big idea, the idea, the whatfor, the wherefore, the why, underlying reason, varnish, veil, way of escape, way out, window dressing