What is the difference between a white lie and just a lie, and why is it white? Does it refer to the “White Man” and how they duped the American Indians? Does it refer to purity because (allegedly) a white lie is deemed harmless?
- Jinx
What an excellent question. I hope we get an answer because I’ve wondered about this for some time myself.
I should add that if a white lie is considered harmless, it is quite a biased opinion.
Harmless to the liar may not be so harmless to the lie-ee!
‘Black’ (not race) is ‘wicked’. So a lie, or a black lie, is an evil thing. White is the opposite of black; so a ‘white lie’ is not wicked, but is intended not to cause harm. Anyway, that’s been my take on it.
I think Johnny L.A. has it. think white magic and black magic.
A white lie is normally one that does no harm to anyone, either the liar or the one who is lied to - or at least, is intended not to. It is usually done out of politeness: “You look marvelous,” “That cake you baked was delicious,” “What a cute baby!” in order to spare someone’s feelings.
A white lie is a lie that is not a sin. In first grade in parochial school, when we asked Sister Honoria whether it was ever permitted to tell a lie, even she told us that if our mother told us to tell the salesman at the door that she wasn’t at home, it would be OK, because our mother wouldn’t be at home “to him.” This is a lie that is a benefit to everyone - the mother for not having to deal with the salesman, the salesman for not having to waste time making a spiel to someone who isn’t interested.
White lies certainly have nothing to do with white men and Indians - most of those lies were quite black.
A white lie is any self-preserving answer to, “Do these jeans make my butt look fat?”
AFAIK, it never had any intentional racial overtones: as others have said, a white lie was when you lied in order to protect someone’s feelings.
The phrase dates from 1741.
BTW, they are colloquially known as “little white lies.”