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“Mare’s nest” is a phrase used to describe a messy or complicated situation, but its original meaning referred to a false discovery or hoax. Over time, the meaning shifted to confusion and then chaos. The modern meaning may be influenced by the term “rat’s nest” and popularized by authors like Agatha Christie.
A mare’s nest is an extremely messy or complicated situation, similar to a rat’s nest. This phrase is not used much and seems to be the most common in Great Britain; outside of England, people may find this a bit confusing. However, this is not the original meaning of this sentence, and retracing the history of the mare’s nest reveals a fascinating series of twists, demonstrating how much a language can change in a short space of time.
The first recorded instance of a “mare’s nest” occurred in 1576 and referred to a false discovery. Since mares in particular do not nest, the discovery of a “mare’s nest” would have been viewed with some skepticism and perhaps even criticism. In this sense, the slang term also referred to any type of hoax or fraud, carried out with the intent to mislead people. People might also use the phrase to refer disparagingly to illusory discoveries, as in “Mr. Jones thinks he’s made a breakthrough, but he’s actually found a mare’s nest.”
By 1800, the term had shifted slightly, being used to refer to confusion or misunderstanding. In this sense, a mare’s nest would not necessarily be deliberately deceptive, but rather a confusing or unclear circumstance. A mare’s nest could be a form of false reality, created through a lack of complete understanding and awareness.
In the mid-1900s, the meaning of mare’s nest realigned, being used to describe a chaotic situation. People might use the term both literally, in the sense of a physically messy environment, and figuratively, to refer to a messy situation. This modern sense of a mare’s nest is certainly a long way from the original meaning, and to anyone who pauses to reflect on the literal phrase, it may seem a bit confusing or mysterious. Some etymologists have suggested that the modern meaning of “mare’s nest” may be closely related to the common slang term “rat’s nest”, with people drawing a connection between the two because both include the world “nest”.
Modern authors appear to have contributed greatly to the new meaning of mare’s nest, especially in the 1930s and 1940s. Agatha Christie was a notable author who used the term “mare’s nest” to refer to a mess, and the popularity of her books undoubtedly contributed to the evolution of the new meaning of the phrase. Since her books were often layered in meaning, she may have chosen “mare’s nest” deliberately, and her readers may have simplified the meaning into its modern sense.
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