Thereby/Therein hangs a tale.

British & Australian, humorous

something that you say when you have been asked about something that needs a long explanation.

'So what were you doing in Nick's garage at three o'clock in the morning?' 'Ah, thereby hangs a tale.'

• give someone the right of first refusal
• give someone the right to first refusal
• give someone the rough side of tongue
• give someone the rough side of your tongue
• give someone the runaround
• give someone the sack
• give someone the shaft
• give someone the shits
• give someone the shivers
• give someone the slip
• give someone the time of day
• give someone the willies
• give someone the works
• give some stick
• give something a bad name
• give something a free reign
• give something a free rein
• give something a lick and a promise
• give something a miss
• give something a new lease of life
• give something a once-over
• give something a second thought
• give something a shot
• give something away
• give something a whirl