CHAPTER TWO Of course, idle hands are not the devil's workshop; that is a base canard.

Who started that base canard?

"That's a base canard," he said, falling easily into their game again.

We found that to be a base canard - up to a point.

LEAD: Just as in the instance of dudgeon - there is aiain "dudgeon" and there is "high dudgeon" - so there is a distinction between a "canard" and a "base canard."

Janet might not trust my judgment about women- she says I'm prejudiced, a base canard.

A base canard, Voom-Voom.

Michael E. Tigar, the lawyer for Mr. Nichols, described the charges as "warmed-over," "a base canard" and "just irresponsible."

"First we were told we were going to be slaves-" "A base canard!"