mare's nest

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See also: mare's-nest

English

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1899 Welsh cartoon using the phrase mare’s nest.

Etymology

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Alteration of earlier horse's nest, from the fanciful and unlikely notion that horses make nests.

 mare's nest on Wikipedia

Pronunciation

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Noun

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mare's nest (plural mare's nests or mares' nests) (figurative)

  1. A great discovery which turns out to be illusory; especially, a hoax.
    Near-synonyms: bullshit, horseshit
  2. A confused or complicated situation; a muddle.
    Synonym: rat's nest
    Coordinate term: boar's nest
    • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 277:
      Though Chancellor Maupeou had supported the idea of a trial [...], the legal proceedings developed into a mare's nest of accusations and counter-accusations.

See also

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Anagrams

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