4 ms·

bold-faced lie is just the usual English drift that was actually questioned as incorrect when it first surfaced. If a lie is bold, you don't have to suggest tha

bold-faced lie is just the usual English drift that was actually questioned as incorrect when it first surfaced. If a lie is bold, you don't have to suggest that the user's face is bold when doing it. You can in thirty seconds of google searching find numerous sources explaining that "bold-faced" is a malapropism.

stryan 1mo ago
It's the usual English drift perhaps, but "bold faced lie" has been used since the 17th century, which is also apparent from "thirty seconds of Google searching". Three hundred years is enough usage for me to count it as correct. On a side note, "bold faced" does not mean the persons face is bold, only that it is said boldly, which implies a level of rudeness that "bald-faced" or "bare-faced" does not.
- Joel_Mckay 1mo ago
  Colloquialisms and slang have unstable meaning over history, location, and cultures. Generally, something to be avoided by people striving for clearer communication. =3
  - saghm 1mo ago
    > Generally, something to be avoided by people striving for clearer communication Their communication seemed pretty clear to me. If anyone actually claims that they didn't understand what they meant but would have understood it by using the other form of the expression, I think that's a bold-faced lie.
    - freedomben 1mo ago
      I'm on the other side of this one, but take an up vote for a glorious closer. Well done good sir.
      - saghm 1mo ago
        I'll admit I mostly stole the idea from https://xkcd.com/1576/ https://xkcd.com/1576/
- harshreality 1mo ago
  That it has been used does not imply it was used equivalently, or with the same acceptance. You're probably referencing https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/137551/bald-faced-lie-vs-bold-faced-lie https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/137551/bald-face... — but see in particular the "Update" section of the top answer. Modern references seem to align (for instance, Garner's): Bald-faced and bare-faced have slightly different connotation than bold-faced. Despite "bold-faced lie" being in somewhat common use, "bald-faced lie" is more common (over 2x according to google stats), and overwhelmingly agreed upon as the "literate" choice, unless an author intends to refer to the sort of lie that would headline an article.

stryan 1mo ago

It's the usual English drift perhaps, but "bold faced lie" has been used since the 17th century, which is also apparent from "thirty seconds of Google searching". Three hundred years is enough usage for me to count it as correct. On a side note, "bold faced" does not mean the persons face is bold, only that it is said boldly, which implies a level of rudeness that "bald-faced" or "bare-faced" does not.

Joel_Mckay 1mo ago
Colloquialisms and slang have unstable meaning over history, location, and cultures. Generally, something to be avoided by people striving for clearer communication. =3
- saghm 1mo ago
  > Generally, something to be avoided by people striving for clearer communication Their communication seemed pretty clear to me. If anyone actually claims that they didn't understand what they meant but would have understood it by using the other form of the expression, I think that's a bold-faced lie.
  - freedomben 1mo ago
    I'm on the other side of this one, but take an up vote for a glorious closer. Well done good sir.
    - saghm 1mo ago
      I'll admit I mostly stole the idea from https://xkcd.com/1576/ https://xkcd.com/1576/
harshreality 1mo ago
That it has been used does not imply it was used equivalently, or with the same acceptance. You're probably referencing https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/137551/bald-faced-lie-vs-bold-faced-lie https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/137551/bald-face... — but see in particular the "Update" section of the top answer. Modern references seem to align (for instance, Garner's): Bald-faced and bare-faced have slightly different connotation than bold-faced. Despite "bold-faced lie" being in somewhat common use, "bald-faced lie" is more common (over 2x according to google stats), and overwhelmingly agreed upon as the "literate" choice, unless an author intends to refer to the sort of lie that would headline an article.