Question

The following statement, "A feeble, stupid, preposterous lie will not live two years -- except it be a slander upon somebody," means that ____.

an outlandish lie will not last long, except if the lie is damaging to a person's character.

lies go away as soon as they arise.

lies aren't as harmful as one may think.

anyone who lies is not intelligent.

Answer 1

The statement means that "an outlandish lie will not last long, except if the lie is damaging to a person's character." It suggests that while most absurd or unreasonable lies will fade away quickly, those that are slanderous or harmful to someone's reputation can persist longer.