mare's nest
Illusory great find
A mare's nest is a discovery that turns out to be worthless or illusory—something that seemed exciting or important but proves to be nothing.
The phrase plays on the absurdity of finding a horse's nest, since horses don't build nests: The detective's breakthrough turned out to be a mare's nest.
It can also mean a confused, disorderly situation: His desk was a mare's nest of papers and coffee cups.
Deliberate deception for effect
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
- shamFraudulent imitation
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
canard · tall tale · wild-goose chase · red herring · snipe hunt · fool's errand · fakery · pretense
hoax
Deliberate deception for effect
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
- shamFraudulent imitation
deception · canard · tall tale · wild-goose chase · red herring · snipe hunt · fool's errand · fakery · pretense · humbug
muddle
Disordered, bewildered state
mess · disorder · disarray · shambles · hodgepodge · mishmash · imbroglio · entanglement · clutter · chaos
- messy situationsjunk drawer, pigsty, disaster zone, train wreck, hot mess
mare's nestorder
Methodical arrangement or request
tidiness · organization · neatness · orderliness · system