Some kind of liar

Posted by Smokey Stover on December 08, 2004

In Reply to: Some kind of liar posted by TheFallen on December 07, 2004

: : Please settle an argument with your insights.
: : Which one is it...
: : a bald face(d) liar or a bold face(d) liar?
: : What is the origin?
: : Thanks! SR

: It's bald-faced. A bald-faced liar tells a bald-faced lie. I realise that this is at first glance the less logical of the two alternatives you offer, but it is indeed the correct one. Bald-faced means blatant, undisguised - so not concealed in any way.

TheFallen raises a point of some interest. In the Middle Ages, when monks had to copy a lot of manuscripts, they often encountered confusing and sometimes erroneous words. Sometimes the word appeared to be another word spelt badly. But a rule prevailed in some monasteries that the "more difficult" reading was generally to be preferred. That is, if it seemed wrong, but was from a generally trustworty source, then it was probably right. Of course, that would also be a good place for a gloss. Does anyone know the L@tin precept involved? It includes the word "difficilior." SS