English Explanatory Dictionary

what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive

English dictionary entry

Meanings

phrase
  1. When one tells a simple lie, it may become necessary to tell more complex lies, eventually spiraling out of control and leading to the exposure of the deceit.

Word forms

what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive

Etymology

Attributed to canto 6, stanza 17 in the poem Marmion (1808) by Sir Walter Scott: "O what a tangled web we weave/ When first we practice to deceive"

Synonyms

lies beget more lies
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