Lügen haben kurze Beine
lies have short legs; the truth will come out
Origin
A proverb, already in Schottelius (1663) as "lies have short feet"; the underlying image is that someone with short legs cannot get far - the lie cannot escape being found out.
Building blocks
Words in this expression
Grammar that uses this word
- zwischen (between - two-way preposition)zwischen (Wo? + Dativ / Wohin? + Akkusativ)
- sowie (as well as, and)sowie (Konjunktion)
- Genitive preposition 'anlässlich' (on the occasion of)Genitivpräposition 'anlässlich'
- Focus particle 'lediglich' (merely)Fokuspartikel 'lediglich'
- Verb 'haben' (to have), present: er/sie/es hat (he/she/it has)Verb 'haben' im Präsens: er/sie/es hat
- Plural with -e (der Tisch → die Tische)Plural mit -e
Examples
Gib es zu – Lügen haben kurze Beine.
You'd better admit it — lies have short legs.