The myth

The Forth Bridge is so big that as soon as maintenance crews have finished painting it, it's time to start again. Thus, any task which can never be completed is said to be "like painting the Forth Bridge".

The "truth"

The world's first steel, long-span, cantilever bridge, opened in 1890, remains one of mankind's greatest engineering achievements. As a modem symbol of Sisyphean labour, however, it's useless. On reflection, starting at one end and painting doggedly towards the other would be a deeply inefficient approach to such an immense and dangerous job.

Sure enough, an inquiry to the Forth Bridges Visitor Centre Trust brought the categorical statement: "The bridge was never painted in that way.