vender humo

1.
All Spanish-speaking regionsneutralliteral
- To sell smoke; to offer something insubstantial, illusory, or imaginary as if it were real or valuable.
2.
SpainLatin AmericaAll Spanish-speaking regionsinformalcolloquialpejorative
- To make empty promises or boastings; to try to impress or deceive others with talk or claims that lack substance or real value.

Examples:

ES: No se puede vender humo en Kansas City.
EN: You can't sell no wolf tickets at Kansas City.
ES: Camp intenta vender humo.
EN: Camp's a snake-oil salesman.
ES: Lundy es demasiado bueno para vender humo.
EN: He's too good to blow smoke.
ES: Si quieres vender humo a la gente, dilo y ya está.
EN: You want to sell the public some illusion, just say so.
EN: You want to sell the public some illusion, just say so.
ES: Eh, eh, solo puede vender humo.
EN: Hey, hey, all she can do is blow smoke.
ES: Ese Rojas tiene olfato. sabe de lo que habla. Sí, es una de sus virtudes, vender humo.
EN: - Well, partly because... the offices are pretty, the carpet's perfect.