Rumors would seem to occupy the same rung of the ladder as idle gossip, often done in whispers, behind the scenes. "Rumor has it..." is often an indirect reference, sometimes accurate, sometimes not, but never fully forthright. Lies, on the other hand, are willful untruths. Lies are either premeditated deception, or spontaneous responses to attempts to get at the truth. To be sure, rumor mongers are a problem, but liars are a scourge that should be eliminated from society. In fact, liars may be the ones who fabricate the content spread by rumor mongers.