The excuse that’s “mostly true” is the one you’ve practiced the most.

Something mostly true can be delivered with real feeling, and that is precisely why it works. The accurate parts carry the inaccurate part across the line, and you get to keep believing you did not actually lie. Rehearsal is the tell. Nobody practises a plain fact that many times.

Next time you notice yourself polishing a version, stop and give the unpolished one instead. It will be shorter, less flattering, and received far better than you expect. When a story needs this much care, it is usually hiding one small sentence you could simply say.