# Bald-/bold-faced lies **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360 "2018-03-10T22:23:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/1 "2018-03-10T22:23:09Z")
I grew up with ‘bald-faced lie’ being the term for a lie that’s plain. I think it evolved from ‘bare-faced lie’, which, like ‘bald-faced’ implies ‘uncovered’ or ‘plainly visible’. OTOH, ‘bold-faced’ implies blatancy. I read and hear ‘bold-faced’ more often than the other phrase. So have I been using the wrong term all of my life? ---
**Author:** ![pdhenry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pdhenry/32/5561_2.png) [@pdhenry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdhenry)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/2 "2018-03-10T23:22:34Z")
The etymology is bare-faced -\> bald-faced -\> bold-faced. > **[Is it a Bald-Faced or Bold-Faced Lie?](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57985/it-bald-faced-or-bold-faced-lie)** > > When a child with chocolate smeared on his face assures Mom that he didn't steal his brother's candy bar, is he telling a bald-faced or bold-faced lie? Bald- and bold- are both considered acceptable, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/3 "2018-03-11T01:21:27Z")
There’s enough evidence to prove that none of the three ways can legitimately be called wrong, so say it how you want. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/4 "2018-03-11T06:52:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I grew up with ‘bald-faced lie’ being the term for a lie that’s plain. I think it evolved from ‘bare-faced lie’, which, like ‘bald-faced’ implies ‘uncovered’ or ‘plainly visible’. OTOH, ‘bold-faced’ implies blatancy. I read and hear ‘bold-faced’ more often than the other phrase. > > So have I been using the wrong term all of my life? As an editor, I would change bold-faced to bald-faced, but I’d leave bare-faced. **And this is a bold-faced truth.** ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/5 "2018-03-11T17:15:33Z")
Bare faced, bald faced, bold faced? Not enough choices. I’m going to start writing “bear faced lie” and see if it catches on. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/6 "2018-03-11T17:17:27Z")
There’s also the not-often-seen “bear-faced lie.” I don’t recommend disputing the veracity of a bear-faced liar. They can be easily peeved. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/7 "2018-03-11T18:23:01Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Bare faced, bald faced, bold faced? Not enough choices. I’m going to start writing “bear faced lie” and see if it catches on. I’m going with bowl-faced. Let’s do this! ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/8 "2018-03-11T18:34:37Z")
The less said about a ‘balled-face’ lie, the better. Edit: But I said it anyway! ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/9 "2018-03-11T21:13:55Z")
What about beer-faced lies? The ones you tell when you are drunk? ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/10 "2018-03-11T22:17:44Z")
Or when someone says you have the manners of a pig? That’s a boar faced lie. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/11 "2018-03-12T02:13:44Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > What about beer-faced lies? The ones you tell when you are drunk? Wouldn’t those be “beer-laced fies”? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/12 "2018-03-12T16:58:35Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > There’s also the not-often-seen “bear-faced lie.” I don’t recommend disputing the veracity of a bear-faced liar. They can be easily peeved. Then how about a “deer faced lie”, much more gentile. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bald-bold-faced-lies/810360/13 "2018-03-12T17:03:16Z")
Boner-faced lies are the most obvious of all.