To nail a lie
tɪ neɪl ə laɪA lion lies on the grass, the nails of its front legs are knocked out. Marked bottom left: E. Numbered bottom right: 4.
Illustrations
The body of the dead Christ lies on a bier. The crown of thorns and nails lie on the ground.
The Roman consul Marcus Atilius Regulus lying in a barrel pierced with nails by bystanders. On the right a man with a basket full of nails. On the left a man who is about to close the barrel with a lid.
Christ is nailed to the cross, lying on the ground. On the left a man puts a nail through the hand of Christ. Twenty-eighth print from a series of forty.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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To nail a lie
to detect and expose it, so as to put a stop to its currency; -- an expression probably derived from the former practice of shopkeepers, who were accustomed to nail bad or counterfeit pieces of money to the counter.
Usage in the news
Let's admit it: We all have a few handbags lying around filled with old lipsticks, ink pens and nail files, and we keep promising ourselves we're going to clean them out. theind.com
Usage in literature
A good coherent lie, to appease Kitty's curiosity; half a truth, something hard to nail. "The Drums Of Jeopardy" by
Roger bit his nails nervously, then hollowed out a bed in the sand and lying down tried to sleep. "The Forbidden Trail" by
I asked him what he wanted to do, for I thought he was going to nail a campaign lie or something. "A Guest at the Ludlow and Other Stories" by
Usage in poetry
When one that hath a horse on sale
Shall bring his merit to the proof,
Without a lie for every nail
That holds the iron on the hoof,--
Shall bring his merit to the proof,
Without a lie for every nail
That holds the iron on the hoof,--
"Latter-Day Warnings" by Oliver Wendell Holmes
