mare's nest

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See also: mare's-nest

English

1899 Welsh cartoon using the phrase mare’s nest.

Etymology

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

 mare's nest on Wikipedia

Pronunciation

Noun

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.

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