That Liar Lies

Host: Are you an alien?

Zim: LIES! THE FILTHY EARTH BOY LIES! [Beat] ...I mean, 'no'.
—Invader Zim, "Mysterious Mysteries"

That Liar Lies happens when a character in a series shouts out to another the words "You lie!" This can also be in different forms, such as "That's a lie," "You're lying", "You are telling a lie," "you're a lying liar that lies," etc.

This is usually the response to a trope from the Luke, I Am Your Index index. This can happen either while the receiver is speaking or when he is not speaking. Occurs when a character speaks Blatant Lies and another character knows that he is lying. Often Played for Drama. Common in trial scenes when some witness has just attributed an incriminating remark to another person present. When used against a person just because of their culture, sex, or race, its a Pet Peeve Trope.

Examples of That Liar Lies include:

Anime and Manga

  • Bleach: In chapter 397 Ichigo calls Aizen a "liar" after being told that he planned all of Ichigo's fights from the beginning.
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji says this about Asuka, Rei, and Misato in the movie (End Of Evangelion) when they all declare to him "we are nice to you."
    • In the same movie, Ritsuko says this of Gendo at one point.
    • Asuka says this of Shinji too.
    • In episode 22 at the end of Asuka's Mind Rape sequence a Creepy Doll says this of Asuka.
  • Used by Rena in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (originally as "USO DA!", translated as "LIAR!" in the dub) in a scene which would set the tone for the rest of the series. Despite being said by her only once, it has become her unofficial catchphrase (along with "Omochikaeri!") and is frequently referenced in fanworks, homages and canon ("Hirukowashi", in case you were wondering).
    • She's said it four times actually. Though the first time it sounded more intimidating since Keiichi was hallucinating and the second time Keiichi straight out hallucinated it.
      • Also used by Shmion occasionally.
    • In Umineko no Naku Koro ni, just about everyone has accused everyone of lying at some point or another and started one of these. The siblings, especially.
  • In Pani Poni Dash! episode 9, Becky's MIT professor tells Becky's students that on one occasion she accidentally fused herself with a cat. Becky (tied to a stalagmite) cries out, "YOU LIAR! Don't make stuff up!"
  • Occurs in Noir when Chloe reveals that Kirika killed Mirielle's parents prompting Mirielle to shout that she has to be lying. A track on the soundtrack is actually called "Liar You Lie."
  • In chapter 61 of Naruto Kabuto insists Sasuke is lying and that he's not that cold-hearted when the latter asks the former to fight saying that it's the only way to survive in the Forest of Death.
    • And in chapter 165 this is Naruto's response upon finding out that Kabuto is actually a sound village spy and Orochimaru's subordinate.
    • Naruto yells this at Madara in episode 203 of Shippuden.
  • Pandora Hearts: Oz says this of Break at one point. And this is said to Oz (by an Abyss-worshiping cult) in chapter 54. And in chapter 56 Philippe says this when Oz tells him that his father is dead.
  • This happens between a few characters in Code Geass.
  • Gankutsuou: Albert screams this at the Count three times upon learning that the Count was merely using him the whole time.
  • Thor screams this at Zagi four times in episode 7 of Jyu-Oh-Sei.
  • Sayaka screams this in episode 7 of Princess Princess after Yuujirou kisses Tooru to drive home the idea that Tooru doesn't like girls.
  • Ranma ½: When Genma claims that the titular character said in his sleep that he loves Akane, Ranma tackles him, all the while repeatedly screaming, "That's a lie!"
    • In the very same episode, Ranma and Akane end up in a situation that makes it look like he raped her. He didn't, of course, but Ryoga doesn't know that. So, Ranma uses Ryoga's misinterpretations to egg him on, because he needs Ryoga to fight him with everything he's got, while Akane shouts, "It's not true! He's a liar! A liar!"
    • When Nabiki claims that Ranma and Akane are a married couple in order to get Ukyo out of the house, Ranma yells "Lies!" over and over again.
    • Used again for hilarity when Ryoga turns into a kid because of aging mushrooms.
  • Used in No. 6 when Sion kisses Nezumi and calls it a "good night kiss" leading to Nezumi to call Sion a "liar".
  • In Kanon when Yuuichi breaks a promise with Nayuki, she often calls him a liar.


Comics

  • Jason Woodrue during his Villainous Breakdown in Swamp Thing: "Youre' lying! You're lying you're lying you're lying! Why are you lying?"
  • Chick tracts, so very much. Li'l Suzy and many other protagonists will usually present this eloquent rebuttal whenever their strawman opponent mentions a personal opinion, religious stance (that don't match Jack's), generally accepted scientific theory, or the like.

Music

  • "Liar" by Emilie Autumn is about a former lover(s) that lied to her.
  • "Liar" by Sex Pistols
  • "Liar" by Megadeth is the tale of a liar with an extremely dysfunctional family. Supposedly inspired by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland.
  • "Liar, Liar" by The Castaways
  • And this super obvious one by The Band Perry called "You Lie"

Film

  • Mean Girls: Janis calls Cady a "dirty little liar" upon finding out she didn't invite her and Damian to her party and because she told them she was planning on sabotaging the Plastics when she was really just holding a party.
  • Star Wars. Luke Skywalker says a variant of this to Darth Vader after the latter declares he is Luke's father.

Luke: That's not true! That's impossible!

Max: You're right, that is a noble cause. But what he really said was "to blaive" which obviously means "to bluff" which means you probably were playing cards and he cheated!
Max's Wife: "LIAR! LIARLIARLIARLIARLIARLIARLIAR LIIIIIAAAAARRR!

  • Elf: "You sit on a throne of lies!"
  • In Anatomy of a Murder, when Jailhouse Snitch Duane Miller gives testimony that sounds highly incriminating, the defendant suddenly roars: "You're a liar! You're a lousy stinking liar!"


Literature

"That word comes too oft and easy from your lips," said Gandalf. "I do not lie."

Aly: He's lying!
Sarai: I know that. His mouth is moving, isn't it?

  • Al Franken's book Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. The title is here accusing Fox News, and the American right in general, of being the liars.

Live-Action TV

  • In iCarly, Freddie says this to Sam during one certain insult, and again when Spencer accuses Freddie of lying when he proves that his Galaxy Wars prop is fake.
    • Also in iStart a Fan War, when Carly says nobody is dating, after a brief moment of silence, out of nowhere a congressman-like person shouts, "YOU lie!" and the fan war continues.
  • Maury: Maury Povich's "That's a lie" during any of his shows concerning the results of a lie detector test.
  • The Doctor Who episode "Dalek" sees the title character respond to the Doctor's claim to have wiped out the Dalek race with "YOU LIE!"
    • According to River Song; "Rule number one: The Doctor lies."

Theatre

  • Emilia to Iago in Othello, after she finds out that he told Othello that Desdemona was unfaithful:

You told a lie, an odious damned lie,
Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie!

Video Games

Web Comics

Web Original


Western Animation

  • Family Guy: Meg makes up the idea that she has a boyfriend named Darren Mitchelstork who's the "chairman of the soccer ball team". Lois doesn't buy it, but humors her for a moment before laughing and calling Meg a "little liar".
    • There's a better example when Meg tells Lois she could be having a life on Saturday night:

Lois: "Meg, if you don't want to babysit anymore, that's fine, but don't you stand there and lie to me."

Ralph Wiggum: I brush three times a day.
Dentist: Why must you turn my office into a house of LIES?!
Ralph Wiggum: *in tears* I don't brush!

"Well, Hank... what's it like to be... a LIAR?! YOU LIKE BEING A LIAR, WITH PANTS CONSTANTLY ON FIRE?"

  • Bender responds with the accusation that he is being used as a beer distiller with "Lies! Lies and slander!"... right before he burps up a bit of foam.
  • Vervain says this a lot about Campion (with good reason) in the animated version of Watership Down, particularly the third season.
  • The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack: "You LIED! If you were a treasure chest, you would LIE at the bottom of the ocean! You would LIE in a LIEGHTHOUSE full of LIEONS and LIEMA BEANS!"
    • "Boy, that guy sure sounds like a really big liar."
  • In Aladdin, the first verse of Jafar's Villain Song is essentially telling Jasmine "That Liar Lies" about Aladdin.
    • Earlier, Aladdin confronts Jafar for lying. And even before that, Jasmine confronts Aladdin for lying. In those cases, though, they say "Tell them/me the truth," not "You lie."
  • During the Grand Finale of Transformers Animated, Lugnut and Shockwave have a Cat Fight - ahem, row over which of them is the most loyal to Megatron. As Megatron facepalms at two of his soldiers acting like protoforms, you can hear Shockwave going "Liar, lying liar!"
  • Looney Tunes short "Beanstalk Bunny", with Daffy Duck as Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, Elmer Fudd as the giant, and Bugs Bunny along for the ride.

Elmer: I smell the bwood of an English wabbit!
Bugs: Look, mac. You're the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk, right?
Elmer: Wight.
Bugs: And the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk wasn't after no rabbit, he was after Jack. Right?
Elmer: Well, I guess maybe that is wight.
Bugs: Well, then... [points at Daffy] He is Jack.
Daffy: It's a lie! It's a lie! My name is... Aloysius! His name is Jack! Jack Rabbit!
Bugs: Oh, no. You're Jack.
Daffy: I am not! You're Jack!
Bugs: You are Jack, and you know it because it is a fact.
Elmer: I guess I'll just have to open with a pair of Jacks!

  • In the two-part Season 2 premiere of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, Twilight must deal with her broken and mindraped friends. Two of which, Rarity and Applejack, become a hoarder and a compulsive liar respectively. Her patience finally breaks while she's trying to get the reference guide to the Elements of Harmony from Rarity.

Twilight: Where is she? Where's Rarity?
Applejack: Beats me.
Twilight: LIES!
(Big Ball of Violence ensues)

  • Teen Titans: In the episode "The Beast Within" Beast Boy screams this when everybody claims that he attacked Raven.
  • In one episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Space Ghost cheerfully asks Moltar to come over after telling an obvious lie. When he does, Space Ghost begins slapping him.

Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! (Beat) Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar! Liar!


Real Life

  • United States Representative Addison Graves "Joe" Wilson (R-SC) interrupted a State of the Union address to shout "YOU LIE!" at President Barack Obama. This quickly became a huge deal, as in more than 100 years of State of the Union addresses (they did not occur every year), there had never been an interruption other than applause, and certainly not one so disingenuous and outright disrespectful.
  • Al Franken's book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair And Balanced Look At The Right.
  • Jeremy Paxman, a journalist famous for his tenacious and often confrontational interviewing style, once said that when interviewing politicians the question he always had in the back of his mind was "why is this lying bastard lying to me?"
    This article is issued from Allthetropes. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.