A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

The saying contrasts the speed and appeal of falsehood with the slower, more effortful work of verification. “Halfway around the world” evokes how sensational claims travel rapidly through social networks and media, while “getting its pants on” personifies truth as needing time to assemble evidence and present itself properly. The line functions as a warning about rumor, propaganda, and the human tendency to share striking stories before checking them. Although often credited to Winston Churchill, the sentiment is older and is frequently linked to earlier aphorisms about lies outrunning truth—making the quote itself a case study in how misattributions can spread faster than corrections.

1) “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on.”
2) “A lie will go round the world while truth is pulling its boots on.”
3) “Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it.”