He may lie boldly who comes from afar.
He may lie boldly who comes from afar.
Meaning in plain English
A distant account can be hard to check, allowing an invented story to sound convincing. The saying draws attention to verification rather than encouraging dishonesty.
Example
A club hears an impressive account of an overseas project and asks for the published report before repeating its claims.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Coming from afar places the reported events beyond the listener’s immediate experience. Boldness may then take the place of evidence. A useful reading asks what supports the account, which details can be checked and whether uncertainty is being admitted. Distance does not make a report false, and a local speaker is not automatically reliable. The point is to examine the claim without turning unfamiliarity into suspicion of a person’s background.
When to use it
Use it when an account is difficult to check because its circumstances are distant.
Keep in mind
Do not infer dishonesty from nationality, distance or unfamiliarity; examine the evidence.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 1; French section, paragraph 4; source wording: A beau mentir qui vient de loin.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗