| 词组 | cock and bull stories |
| 释义 | (redirected from cock and bull stories)cock-and-bull storyA wildly exaggerated or falsified story or explanation. When I questioned Wendy about her recent tardiness, she gave me some cock-and-bull story about how her train took the wrong track and she had to hitchhike to work from the station across town. cock-and-bull storya hard-to-believe, made-up story; a story that is a lie. Don't give me that cock-and-bull story. I asked for an explanation, and all I got was your ridiculous cock-and-bull story! cock and bull storyAn unbelievable tale that is intended to deceive; a tall tale. For example, Jack told us some cock and bull story about getting lost. This expression may come from a folk tale involving these two animals, or from the name of an English inn where travelers told such tales. W.S. Gilbert used it in The Yeomen of the Guard (1888), where Jack Point and Wilfred the Jailer make up a story about the hero's fictitious death: "Tell a tale of cock and bull, Of convincing detail full." [c. 1600] a cock and bull storyIf you describe an explanation or excuse as a cock and bull story, you mean that you do not believe it. They'll be believed, no matter what kind of a cock and bull story they tell. She tried to feed me some cock-and-bull story about taking care of you. Note: This expression may come from old fables in which animals such as cocks and bulls could talk. Alternatively, it may come from the names of inns, such as `The Cock' and `The Bull', where people gathered and told each other stories and jokes. a cock-and-bull storya ridiculous and implausible story.The expression ‘talk of a cock and a bull’ is recorded from the early 17th century, and apparently refers to an original story or fable which is now lost. a ˌcock and ˈbull story(informal) a story, an excuse or an explanation that is so unlikely that no one believes it: I asked him about his job and he gave me some cock and bull story about being so rich he didn’t need to work.cock and bull storyA far-fetched tale, intended to deceive. This term dates from approximately 1600, but its origin is obscure. Some say it refers to the name of an English coaching inn, a wayside stop for travelers where such tales were often spun. Others believe it alludes to a fable or folktale about a cock and a bull. By the eighteenth century the term meant a tall tale. |
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