'lie like a hairy egg'

[stephanie289]

Where did the phrase 'lie like a hairy egg' come from?
Enquiring minds want to know

[Quizmonster]

I've never heard the phrase, but I assume you use 'lie' in the sense of 'tell untruths'. I have, however, heard the phrase 'bald as an egg'...so clearly a lack of hair is a fundamental feature of eggishness! Thus, any egg claiming to be a hairy egg is a contradiction...ie it is lying about itself.

[stephanie289]

I like the way youre thinking quizmonster. I had thought that the phrase was unique to my Dad but found out on the net that its naval slang apparently. It does indeed mean to tell an untruth. My other theory was that maybe it was something to do with 'airy' eggs, and how they float indicating that they have gone bad... Or I may have just made that up...

[yesmadam]

like this one?..... ;-)

http://www.lordshaper.com/albums/Razors-Realm- of-Random-Stuff/Eggsticle.jpg

[stephanie289]

Yuk

[JWP70]

It's an old Navy phrase from when sailors first saw coconuts and thought they were 'hairy eggs'.
Obviously they're not hence the lie and the use of the phrase.