Definition

Noun: An obviously fabricated, unbelievable, or absurd tale, typically told as an excuse or to deceive. It implies the story is so fanciful or improbable that no sensible person would believe it.

Usage

This noun phrase is used to dismiss a narrative as a complete fabrication. It is often employed in informal contexts to express skepticism or to accuse someone of lying, especially when they are providing an unlikely excuse.

Examples

• "He gave me some cock-and-bull story about his car being stolen by a monkey." (He told me an unbelievable and ridiculous excuse.)
• "Don't believe his cock-and-bull story; he's just trying to get out of trouble." (Don't believe his fabricated tale.)
• "The whole report was dismissed as a cock-and-bull story invented by the tabloid press." (The entire report was rejected as an absurd fabrication.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is almost always used in its full form "cock-and-bull story." It is a fixed expression.
• It carries a strong connotation of contempt or derision for the story and, by extension, the person telling it.

Variants and Related Words

• Tall tale (n.): A story that is difficult to believe because it exaggerates the truth, but may be told in a humorous or entertaining way, not necessarily as a malicious lie.
• Fabrication (n.): The act of inventing something false; a lie. This is a more formal and general term.
• Canard (n.): A false or baseless rumor or story. This term often implies the story is being spread publicly.

Synonyms

• Lie
• Falsehood
• Fib (informal, often for a minor lie)
• Whopper (informal, for a big lie)
• Fairy tale (when used figuratively to mean an untrue story)

Idioms and Related Phrases

• A pack of lies: A series of connected lies. This is a very close synonym in meaning and tone.
  • His testimony was nothing but a pack of lies.
• To spin a yarn: To tell a long, often entertaining or far-fetched story. This can be neutral or slightly positive, unlike "cock-and-bull story," which is always negative.
  • The old sailor loved to spin a yarn about his adventures.

Noun

1. an interesting but highly implausible story; often told as an excuse