What is the origin of the idiom "cry wolf" and when to use it?

The idiom "cry wolf" originates from one of Aesop's fables, specifically "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." In this fable, a young shepherd repeatedly raises a false alarm about a wolf attacking the flock, causing nearby villagers to rush to his aid. However, when a real wolf finally appears and the boy cries for help, the villagers no longer believe him, assuming it to be another false alarm. This expression has since come to mean the act of giving false alarms or exaggerating dangers or problems to the point where genuine issues are met with skepticism or disbelief.