mare's nest
mare's nest · mare's nests · mares' nests
A great discovery which turns out to be illusoryA great discovery which turns out to be illusory; especially, a hoax.
/ˈmɛːz nɛst/
Meaning
2 senses(figuratively)A great discovery which turns out to be illusory; especially, a hoax.
Near-synonyms: bullshit, horseshit
(figuratively)A confused or complicated situation; a muddle.
a confused multitude of things
Origin
Alteration of earlier horse's nest, from the fanciful and unlikely notion that horses makeAlteration of earlier horse's nest, from the fanciful and unlikely notion that horses make nests.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: mare's nests / mares' nests| Singular | mare's nest |
|---|---|
| Plural | mare's nests / mares' nests |
regular