"Hardly ever" saves many a lie.

Qualifying a claim with “hardly ever” leaves room for exceptions, so a speaker avoids making an absolute statement that could be disproved. The saying observes that careful vagueness can preserve a doubtful account.

It also points to a moral weakness in evasive language: a near-denial may conceal what a direct statement would reveal. Used wryly about hedging or slippery truthfulness, it describes this tactic rather than necessarily approving deception.

Use it as a wry comment when someone avoids a plainly false absolute by adding a cautious qualifier. It suits discussion of hedged claims and evasive speech, and may imply criticism of the speaker’s honesty rather than endorsement of deception.