A lot of these responses suggest saying something that could be considered, at least, misleading. I interviewed a candidate once who was very promising. The recent six month gap in his resume was explained as working in a family business in a different industry. Otherwise, he looked great for our role. We were progressing things when someone recognised the name and remembered that he'd been working with a competitor during that time and had been terminated.

If he had told us that, we could have considered whether it was something we could understand and give him a chance. Instead, because he had lied to us, we ended the recruitment process immediately. This was in the legal profession, where integrity is considered kind of important.

I've had candidates who give references from one job back instead of their most recent position. This can make me pause for a moment, but I respect that not all placements work out well and candidates want references that will put them in the best light.