“I was a little shocked at the elaborateness of the lie.”
Source: The Great Gatsby
Last update June 3, 2021.
History
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F. Scott Fitzgerald 411
American novelist and screenwriter 1896–1940Related quotes
“I cannot tell a lie, I did it with my little hatchet.”
George Washington
(1732–1799) first President of the United States
The earliest source of this quote was a famous anecdote in The Life of George Washington, with Curious Anecdotes Laudable to Himself and Exemplary to his Countrymen (1806) by Parson Weems, which is not considered a credible source, and many incidents recounted in the work are now considered to have sprung entirely from Weems’ imagination. This derives from an anecdote of Washington, as a young boy, confessing to his father Augustine Washington that it was he who had cut a cherished cherry tree.
Variant:Father, I cannot tell a lie, I cut the tree.
Misattributed, Spurious attributions
“I cannot tell a lie, I did it with my little hatchet.”
Mason Weems
(1759–1825) fictionalizing biographer of George Washington
Portrayed as the words of the young George Washington, confessing to have damaged a cherry tree in Life of Washington (1800)
Johnny Cash
(1932–2003) American singer-songwriter
Cry! Cry! Cry!
Song lyrics, Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar (1957)
“If you will lie about the little things, before long you’ll lie about bigger things.”
Joel Osteen
(1963) American televangelist and author
Source: Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential
Lois McMaster Bujold
(1949) Science Fiction and fantasy author from the USA
Source: World of the Five Gods series, Paladin of Souls (2003), p. 31
“I suppose the shock of recognition is one of the nastiest shocks of all.”
Source: The Secret History
