5.TALK ABOUT LIARS AND LYING

工具  ·  2025年11月22日

Welcome back to "Word Origins Unlocked," the podcast where we dig into the fascinating stories behind English words, all for our wonderful listeners in China! I'm Chris, your guide on this linguistic adventure.

And I'm Rachel, ready to jump in and explore with you! Today, Chris, we’re tackling a topic that’s, well, universally understood, but often looked down upon: lying.

Ah, yes, lying. Rachel, you know, the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, more than two thousand years ago, walked around Athens with a lantern, looking for an honest person. I wonder how much success he’d have today! It seems to be a part of human nature, doesn't it? Most people would admit to telling at least a small untruth at some point.

Absolutely! It’s almost impossible to claim perfect honesty. And I suppose people lie for all sorts of reasons—to look more important, avoid trouble, get what they want, or maybe they just can't tell what’s real from what’s not.

Exactly. And because it's such a common human phenomenon, English has developed a rich vocabulary to describe different types of liars. Today, we're going to explore some of the most interesting ones, looking at their specific nuances and, of course, their fascinating origins.

Oh, this sounds fun! What kind of liar are we starting with? Let's say, someone who’s lied so much that everyone already knows they're not to be trusted.

Excellent question, Rachel! If you’ve developed such a solid, unsavory reputation for avoiding facts that only a stranger might be fooled – and not for long – then you, my friend, are a notorious liar.

Ah, notorious! Like someone famous, but for all the wrong reasons.

Precisely! The word notorious means "widely but unfavorably known". It comes from the Latin word notus, meaning "known." Think of a famous historical figure, perhaps a warlord, who is noted for their strategic brilliance, but also notorious for their ruthless tactics. The same root, but the prefix and context shift the emotional impact entirely. It's similar to how we might describe someone as a "well-known hero" versus a "well-known scoundrel."

That makes a lot of sense. So it’s not just being known, but being known in a negative way. What about someone who is incredibly good at lying? So good, it's almost an art form?

You’re thinking of a consummate liar. This is someone whose ability is top-drawer, rarely does anyone lie as convincingly or artistically as them. Their skill has reached the zenith of perfection, often succeeding in seducing an unwary listener into believing they're telling the absolute truth.

Wow, a master of deception!

Indeed. The word consummate comes from the Latin summus, meaning "highest". Think of the summit of a mountain, its very highest point. A consummate artist has reached the peak of their craft. And when you consummate (KAHN′-sƏ-mƏt) a marriage or a business deal, you bring it to its highest point, to completion, putting the final touches on it. It's interesting how the adjective consummate (KAHN′-sƏ-mƏt) is pronounced differently from the verb.

That's a great insight into how English words can be tricky! Okay, next type of liar: someone who just won't learn. No matter how many times they get caught, they keep lying.

Ah, then you're describing an incorrigible liar. These people are impervious to correction. Even if they face punishment, embarrassment, or unhappiness because of their fabrications, they simply go right on lying. There's no reforming them.

Sounds like a truly stubborn person!

Yes, incorrigible means "beyond redemption or salvation". It comes from the Latin corrigo, meaning "to correct or set straight," combined with the negative prefix in-. You can use incorrigible for other things too, like an incorrigible optimist who always sees the bright side, no matter what, or an incorrigible prankster who just can't resist a joke.

So it's about a persistent, unchangeable habit, whether good or bad. What if someone has been lying for such a long time that it's become second nature, like brushing their teeth?

That would be an inveterate liar. For them, telling untruths is as frequent and customary as any daily routine. It's a firmly fixed and deep-rooted habit, almost reflexive.

Like an old habit that’s hard to break.

Exactly. Inveterate comes from the Latin word vetus, meaning "old". So, an inveterate gambler has grown old in the habit of gambling, and an inveterate drinker has been imbibing for so long that it’s a well-established habit. The word implies that their lying habits are so old, it's hard to remember when they ever told the truth. This root also gives us veteran, an old hand at something, like a veteran soldier or a veteran teacher.

That’s a powerful connection! So, it’s about habits that are deeply ingrained over a long time. What about someone who seems to have been lying since they were born?

You’re talking about a congenital liar. This word wildly exaggerates, for effect, that their vice started incredibly early, almost as if from the moment of their birth.

That's a strong image!

It is. The word congenital is formed from the prefix con-, meaning "with or together," and the Greek root genesis, meaning "birth or origin". Literally, congenital refers to defects or conditions that occur during the nine-month period of gestation. For example, eye color is hereditary—determined by genes from parents—but certain deformities caused by external factors during pregnancy would be congenital. So, when we say congenital liar, we're using it figuratively to highlight the early, seemingly innate nature of their lying. The root genesis also gives us words like genetics and genealogy.

So it's an exaggeration to emphasize how long they've been doing it. If someone lies not just occasionally, but all the time, continually, what do we call them?

That’s a chronic liar. While most people lie on occasion, a chronic liar lies continually, over and over, with no letup.

I see. So it's about the frequency.

Yes, chronic comes from the Greek word chronos, meaning "time". A chronic illness is one that occurs time after time, frequently. This root is incredibly common in English! For example, an anachronism is something out of time or out of date.

Oh, I know that one! Like an ancient Chinese warrior pulling out a smartphone in a historical drama!

Perfect example, Rachel! Or seeing a traditional scholar wearing modern athletic shoes. Those are all anachronisms. Chronological means "in correct time order," like telling a story from beginning to end. And a chronometer is a highly accurate timepiece, combining chronos with metron, meaning "measurement". We also have synchronize, which literally means "to time together," like when you set your watches to the same time.

That's fascinating how one root word can create so many related terms about time! Now, what about someone whose lying is almost like a sickness, where they truly can't tell fact from fantasy?

That’s a pathological liar. For them, the lying is a disease, and they aren't concerned with distinguishing truth from falsehood.

So it's not a choice, but more of a condition?

Exactly. Pathological means "diseased". The root here is Greek pathos, which originally means "disease" or "suffering," but also "feeling". Pathology is the science of disease, and a pathologist diagnoses diseases by examining tissues. But pathos also gives us words about emotions. For instance, if you feel or suffer with someone, you are sympathetic. If you feel against someone, you have antipathy. If you have no feeling at all, you are apathetic.

That's quite a range of meanings! From disease to different kinds of feelings.

It is. And if you’re so sensitive that you not only share someone's feelings but actively experience them yourself, that's empathy. And then there's telepathy, the idea of feeling thoughts from a distance, or mind reading, combining pathos with tele- for "distance".

So many interesting connections! Okay, what if a liar feels absolutely no guilt or remorse for the harm their lies cause?

That would be an unconscionable liar. They are completely without a conscience, feeling no twinge of guilt, no matter what misery their fabrications may cause their innocent victims. They are totally unscrupulous and quite dangerous to deal with.

Truly a frightening thought. So, it's about a lack of a moral compass.

Precisely. Unconscionable and conscience both relate to Latin scio, meaning "to know," and the prefix con-, meaning "with or together". So, your conscience is your inner knowledge of right and wrong, a moral sense. If you are unconscionable, your conscience isn't working, or you simply don't have one. This root scio also gives us conscious, meaning awareness, and science, which is systematized knowledge.

Ah, science! That makes sense. And I've heard words like omniscient or prescient.

Yes! Omniscient means "all-knowing," from Latin omnis (all) plus sciens (knowing). And prescient means "knowing about events before they occur," from pre- (before) plus sciens. It's all about different forms of knowing.

Incredible. Now, let’s talk about the style of lying. What if someone is just incredibly smooth and fluent in their lying, but you can tell something’s off?

Then you're dealing with a glib liar. They have a lively imagination and a ready tongue, distorting facts smoothly and effortlessly. But ironically, their very smoothness can make them suspect—their answers are too quick to be true, and you learn to listen with a skeptical ear.

Ah, so it’s not just about the lie itself, but the way it's delivered, almost too perfectly.

Exactly. Glib comes from an old English root meaning "slippery". So, glib talkers are smooth and slippery; they have ready answers and a persuasive air, but their smoothness often lacks sincerity, fooling only the most naive listeners.

That's a great image, "slippery"! And finally, what about lies that are not just bad, but truly vicious and outstandingly hurtful?

For those, we use the word egregious. If your lies are so outstandingly hurtful, calculatedly, predeterminedly, coldly, and advisedly vicious, that people gasp in amazement and disgust, then they are egregious lies.

That sounds really serious, beyond just a simple lie.

It is. Egregious comes from the Latin grex, gregis, meaning "herd or flock". The prefix e- is a shortened form of ex-, meaning "out". So, an egregious lie or act is so exceptionally bad that it conspicuously stands out from the herd or flock of other bad things. It's a striking image, something so bad it separates itself from the rest.

That's really vivid! So, it stands out from the "bad crowd" by being even worse.

Precisely. This root grex also gives us other interesting words. A person who enjoys companionship, who likes to be with the herd, is gregarious. Extroverts, for instance, are often gregarious, preferring human contact to solitude. And when people gather together in a group, they congregate. The opposite, to put people or things apart from the herd, is to segregate them.

What a rich family of words, all from the idea of a "herd"!

It truly is. From Diogenes searching for honesty to these complex types of deception, the English language offers so many ways to describe the nuances of liars and lying. It really highlights how deeply embedded this human trait is, and how much we've tried to understand and categorize it.

It's been fascinating, Chris! I certainly hope none of our listeners fit the description of an egregious or unconscionable

Indeed! Let's all strive to be the kind of people Diogenes was looking for. Thank you for joining us on "Word Origins Unlocked." We hope you enjoyed this deep dive into the lexicon of deception.

Join us next time for more exciting word adventures! Goodbye for now!