mare's nest

n., pl., mare's nests, or mares' nests.

1. A hoax or fraud.
2. An extraordinarily complicated situation.

(mairz nest)

noun
1. A confused mess.
2. A hoax or an illusory discovery.

Etymology
The original sense of the term was a false discovery since clearly a mare doesn't have a nest. Nowadays the term implies a confused situation. A term with a similar origin is the Greek calends meaning a time that doesn't exist: greek calends. ]

Usage
"The previous two sheets of this piece are a mare's nest of scratched out half sentences, words replaced and replaced again and clauses arrowed in or arrowed out." — Gary Covington; Learning to Write; Sun Star (Philippines); Dec 30, 2007.

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Something thought to be an extraordinary discovery but proving to be a delusion or hoax.

IN BRIEF: A hoax or fraud; Something that is too good to be true and then results in ridicule of those deceived.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a confused multitude of things
  Synonyms: clutter, jumble, muddle, welter, smother

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