that beats cock-fighting
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
That is most improbable and extraordinary. The allusion is to the extravagant tales told of fighting- cocks.
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 “that beats cock-fighting” mean?
That is most improbable and extraordinary. The allusion is to the extravagant tales told of fighting- cocks.
Is “that beats cock-fighting” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.