banbury story of a cock and a bull
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A fanciful and implausible tale
Literally: story about a cock and a bull
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A roundabout, nonsensical story.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “banbury story of a cock and a bull” mean?
A fanciful and implausible tale Literally: story about a cock and a bull
Is “banbury story of a cock and a bull” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.