- English translation
Give a liar your belief only as far as the house door.
- Literal wording
Believe the liar until the door of the house.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying tells the listener to believe a known liar, but only up to a set point, the door of the house. Credence is offered on a limited basis, neither withheld from the start nor extended without end.
The door works as a figurative limit, and the saying itself does not settle what reaching it means. It may be where the story meets reality and the lie is exposed, or simply the boundary beyond which the liar's word is no longer trusted.
- When it is used
Apt when someone must deal with a person known for lying and chooses to go along with that person's account only so far, keeping a firm limit on how much belief they will grant.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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