a lie can go halfway around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
False information spreads quickly, while truth takes time to catch up
Literally: a lie travels fast, truth gets ready slowly
Examples
The rumor spread like wildfire, illustrating that a lie can go halfway around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on English Wikiquote “English proverbs” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “a lie can go halfway around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots” mean?
False information spreads quickly, while truth takes time to catch up Literally: a lie travels fast, truth gets ready slowly
Is “a lie can go halfway around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.