How do I handle a long gap on my résumé? - any advice?

I have been out of work for 6 months and worry about the gap. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I am nervous about being filtered out. What do you say in interviews?

I listed the volunteering and course under the same dates and kept the explanation to a sentence in the cover letter.

I was hired after a 6-month gap. The manager said the skills test mattered more than the dates.