a cock and bull story
Preserved but no longer current.
A long, rambling, idle, or incredible yarn; a canard. There are various so-called explanations of the origin of the term, but the most likely is that it is connected with the old fables in which cocks, bulls, and other animals discoursed in human language on things m general.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a cock and bull story” mean?
A long, rambling, idle, or incredible yarn; a canard. There are various so-called explanations of the origin of the term, but the most likely is that it is connected with the old fables in which cocks, bulls, and other animals discoursed in human language on things m general.
Is “a cock and bull story” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.