Liar Liar Pants on Fire
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Liar Liar Pants on Fire! is an expression of unknown meaning but well-established origins. In its most complete version, it is rendered “Liar, liar, pants on fire/ Hangin’ on a telephone wire!” It is most commonly associated with accusations of dishonesty.
[edit] Meaning
Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the meaning of this phrase. In brief, they are:
1. You are such a horrible liar, that your pants have recently, or are about to, burst into flame.
2. Hearing you lie is about as pleasant as wearing a pair of pants that are burning.
3. I can tell that you are lying, because I have heard well-substantiated reports of an untrustworthy individual matching your description, whose slacks are more inflammable than is probably prudent.
4. I hereby demand that you stop lying or I will be forced to use my portable flamethrower upon your lower body.
Each of these explanations has support from several scholars in the field of Playground Taunt Science, but so far no consensus has been reached.
[edit] Origin
In contrast, the origins of the phrase are not in question. It is a paraphrased version of the 1810 poem “The Liar” by William Blake, reprinted here in full.
Deceiver, dissembler Your trousers are alight From what pole or gallows Shall they dangle in the night?
When I asked of your career Why did you have to kick my rear With that stinking lie of thine Proclaiming that you owned a mine?
When you asked to borrow my stallion To visit a nearby moored galleon How could I ever know that you Intended to turn him into glue?
What red devil of mendacity Grips your soul with such tenacity? Will one you cruelly shower with lies Put a pistol ball between your eyes?
What infernal serpent Has lent you his forked tongue? From what pit of foul deceit Are all these whoppers sprung?
Deceiver, dissembler Your trousers are alight From what pole or gallows Do they dangle in the night?
Blake, a romantic known for his colorful use of supernatural and ballistic imagery, pretty much settled the question of whether or not honesty is the best policy with that poem.
[edit] Usage
It is recommended that this expression be used (shouted, actually) in situations where someone has made a statement with insufficient truth value, for example, when someone claims that solutions of tap water and milk sugar cure diseases. Its use is not recommended when the suspected liar is a pirate or ninja.
