# "Liar, Liar Pants On Fier" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876 "2004-04-08T02:20:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@Bret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bret)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/1 "2004-04-08T02:20:10Z")
Is there more to the old saying after, “Liar, liar pants on fier”? ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/2 "2004-04-08T02:23:34Z")
I heard: ¯\*“Liar liar pants on fire Nose as long as a telephone wire”\*¯ ---
**Author:** ![Bret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@Bret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bret)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/3 "2004-04-08T02:35:23Z")
I KNEW THERE WAS MORE! Thanks for the great laugh. I do think I remember being told that one now, too (unfortunately). Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/4 "2004-04-08T03:06:14Z")
Of the zillion groups to do the song, The Castaways were the first to break into the top 40, in 1965. [Liar, Liar](http://www.lyricsbox.com/castaways-lyrics-liar-liar-czwlhc5.html) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/5 "2004-04-08T03:14:14Z")
Huh. Never heard the long-nosed version. When I was growing up, it was always “Liar, liar, pants on fire, hanging from the telephone wire.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/6 "2004-04-08T03:39:20Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Huh. Never heard the long-nosed version. > > When I was growing up, it was always “Liar, liar, pants on fire, hanging from the telephone wire.” Me too. There were people who used the nose version, but they were generally shunned. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/7 "2004-04-08T03:50:37Z")
There is a variation I heard at approx. age six. Tattletale, tattletale Hanging from the bull’s tail When the bull begins to pee You will have a cup of tea When the bull begins to—INTERRUPTION! That’s all I know. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/8 "2004-04-08T04:13:41Z")
Hmm…we had an even odder variant: _Liar, liar, pants on fire, You kissed a girl on an electric wire_ Don’t ask me what that’s supposed to mean. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/9 "2004-04-08T04:27:26Z")
When I was a kid the only time I heard that expression was from the song by the Castaways. I’ve wondered whether the kids’ expression came first OR kids picked it up form the song and it’s been carried on ever since. Any thoughts on this? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/10 "2004-04-08T05:03:46Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve wondered whether the kids’ expression came first OR kids picked it up form the song and it’s been carried on ever since. I’m pretty sure the child’s sing-song predates any recording. I can’t think of it without remembering an accompanying illustration in book of nursery rhymes I had as a toddler. I don’t know when it was printed, but it was black, yellow and blue trichrome, and looked very 1940s/1950s. ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liar-liar-pants-on-fier/238876/11 "2004-04-08T05:32:05Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Me too. There were people who used the nose version, but they were generally shunned. I remember those people. They’re generally the same ones who do rock, paper, scissors on the third pump instead of allowing the [proper three warmup priming shots](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=207635) prior to the throw.