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

English

Alternative forms

• what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive

Etymology

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

Phrase

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

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.

   Synonym: lies beget more lies