double-dealing; duplicity; two-facedness
Refers to the act of saying different things to different people, or being hypocritical. Often used in formal or literary contexts to describe untrustworthy behavior.
His double-dealing attitude gradually made those around him more distrustful.
In the world of politics, it is sometimes necessary to speak with a forked tongue.
Compound of 両 (both) and 舌 (tongue), literally 'both tongues'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of speaking inconsistently.