The Top 10 lies happy husbands tell

2. 'I can fix it.'
Why he tells it: ego protection

Whether it's home repair, barbecuing, or wiring plugs, there are certain domains men feel compelled to know everything about. If a man cannot fix his own power tool, he must lie and declare it beyond repair, because if he admits defeat and lets his wife fix it, he's officially banished from the Real Man club forever. That's the way it feels, anyway - and that's why, every year, otherwise perfectly competent chartered accountants get their fingers cut off in power saw accidents.

Being visibly proficient at the man basics cuts to the core of our identity. These 'I can fix it' lies tend to lessen with time, as couples start to divide tasks and responsibilities along realistic lines of personal strengths and weaknesses rather than traditional gender roles. But take it slow. 'Reassure him that he's lovable for who he is, and that he doesn't need to solve every problem,' advises Kovacs. 'There's no shame in realistically evaluating each other's skills and sorting out who should do what.'