Re: Lying and kidding/Joking.
Mirch...it's called a hyperbole.
The person who is exaggerating assumes that you know that there is no such thing as a cockroach the size of cadillac....at least not around here.
I dont think that the use of a hyperbole (or exaggeration) is considered a lie. The underlying statement the person is saying is true however the degree to which is it true is not correct. 9 times out 10 the receiver of that statement knows that the sender is using a hyperbole.
In my observation and research (and yes I have studied interpersonal communication in uni) females tend to exaggerate (or use hyperboles) more then males.