"Banbury story of a cock and a bull" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "title": "Origin unknown"
      },
      "expansion": "Origin unknown",
      "name": "unk"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Origin unknown. Folk history claims derivation from the rivalry between two inns in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England, one called “The Cock” and the other called “The Bull”, where travellers would congregate to hear fanciful stories told; one such story involved travellers destined for the city of Banbury. However, there is little evidence supporting this etymology.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Banbury stories of a cock and a bull",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Banbury stories of a cock and a bull"
      },
      "expansion": "Banbury story of a cock and a bull (plural Banbury stories of a cock and a bull)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "Ban‧bury"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "[1725, “BANBURY STORY”, in A New Canting Dictionary: Comprehending All the Terms, Antient and Modern, Used in the Several Tribes of Gypsies, Beggars, Shoplifters, Highwaymen, Foot-Pads, and All Other Clans of Cheats and Villains. …, London: Printed; and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, →OCLC",
          "text": "BANBURY STORY, of a Cock and a Bull, an Idle relation, in order to pick Acquaintance on the Road, till a convenient Place and Opportunity offer to rob or plunder.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "[1785, [Francis Grose], “Banbury story of a cock and a bull”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, London: Printer for S. Hooper, No. 212, High Holborn, →OCLC",
          "text": "Banbury story of a cock and a bull. A roundabout nonſenſical ſtory.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "[1856 April 26, Supplement to the Illustrated London News, volume XXVIII, number 796, London: Illustrated London News & Sketch, →OCLC, page 455",
          "text": "A Banbury Story of a Cock and a Bull.—The saying \"It is a cock and bull story\" is common enough, as every one knows, at the present day; but in former times—I mean in the last century—the phrase always ran thus \"It is a Banbury story of a cock and a bull.\" Can you inform me why was Banbury in particular fixed upon as the locality of the story? —Falgate.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1955, Georgette Heyer, Bath Tangle, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, page 149",
          "text": "Fanny, how is this? I promise you I thought the whole tale a Banbury story, but, upon my soul, what do I find but that fellow closeted with you!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1981, Joan Aiken, The Stolen Lake, London: Jonathan Cape; republished Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, page 75",
          "text": "Balderdash! Do not seek to pull wool over my eyes, miss! Fabricate me no Banbury stories!"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2003, Connie Lane [pseudonym; Constance Laux], The Viscount's Bawdy Bargain, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, page 56",
          "text": "Nor was she uncaring, mean-spirited or likely to go about spreading a Banbury story of a cock and a bull.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Michelle Styles, chapter 4, in Compromising Miss Milton (Mills & Boon Historical), Richmond, Surrey: Mills & Boon",
          "text": "'I never got the chance. Mama sent me to my room for telling fibs.' Nella's bottom lip trembled. 'She threatened to paddle me with a hairbrush. Called it a Banbury story of a cock and bull.'",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A roundabout, nonsensical story."
      ],
      "id": "en-Banbury_story_of_a_cock_and_a_bull-en-noun-VyyakEgE",
      "links": [
        [
          "roundabout",
          "roundabout"
        ],
        [
          "nonsensical",
          "nonsensical"
        ],
        [
          "story",
          "story"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, obsolete, slang, British) A roundabout, nonsensical story."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "shaggy dog story"
        },
        {
          "word": "tall tale"
        },
        {
          "word": "whopper"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "Banbury story"
        },
        {
          "word": "Banbury story of a cock and bull"
        },
        {
          "word": "Banbury tale"
        },
        {
          "word": "cock-and-bull story"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "idiomatic",
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
          "word": "una història sense cap ni peus"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
          "word": "une histoire sans queue ni tête"
        },
        {
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
          "word": "unha historia sen pés nin cabeza"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
          "word": "eine Geschichte ohne Hand und Fuß"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "história sem pé nem cabeça"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "ска́зка про белого бычка (skázka pro belovo byčka, literally “tale of the white bull”)",
          "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "бред си́вой кобы́лы (bred sívoj kobýly, literally “rave of the grey mare”)",
          "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
          "word": "una historia sin pies ni cabeza"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Banbury",
        "Stony Stratford"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbænbɹi ˈstɔːɹi əv ə ˈkɒk ənd ə ˈbʊl/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbænb(ə)ɹi ˈstɔːɹi əv ə ˈkɑk ənd ə ˈbʊl/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-Banbury story of a cock and a bull.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/6d/En-au-Banbury_story_of_a_cock_and_a_bull.ogg/En-au-Banbury_story_of_a_cock_and_a_bull.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/En-au-Banbury_story_of_a_cock_and_a_bull.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Banbury story of a cock and a bull"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "title": "Origin unknown"
      },
      "expansion": "Origin unknown",
      "name": "unk"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Origin unknown. Folk history claims derivation from the rivalry between two inns in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England, one called “The Cock” and the other called “The Bull”, where travellers would congregate to hear fanciful stories told; one such story involved travellers destined for the city of Banbury. However, there is little evidence supporting this etymology.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Banbury stories of a cock and a bull",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Banbury stories of a cock and a bull"
      },
      "expansion": "Banbury story of a cock and a bull (plural Banbury stories of a cock and a bull)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "Ban‧bury"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "shaggy dog story"
    },
    {
      "word": "tall tale"
    },
    {
      "word": "whopper"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with unknown etymologies"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "[1725, “BANBURY STORY”, in A New Canting Dictionary: Comprehending All the Terms, Antient and Modern, Used in the Several Tribes of Gypsies, Beggars, Shoplifters, Highwaymen, Foot-Pads, and All Other Clans of Cheats and Villains. …, London: Printed; and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, →OCLC",
          "text": "BANBURY STORY, of a Cock and a Bull, an Idle relation, in order to pick Acquaintance on the Road, till a convenient Place and Opportunity offer to rob or plunder.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "[1785, [Francis Grose], “Banbury story of a cock and a bull”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, London: Printer for S. Hooper, No. 212, High Holborn, →OCLC",
          "text": "Banbury story of a cock and a bull. A roundabout nonſenſical ſtory.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "[1856 April 26, Supplement to the Illustrated London News, volume XXVIII, number 796, London: Illustrated London News & Sketch, →OCLC, page 455",
          "text": "A Banbury Story of a Cock and a Bull.—The saying \"It is a cock and bull story\" is common enough, as every one knows, at the present day; but in former times—I mean in the last century—the phrase always ran thus \"It is a Banbury story of a cock and a bull.\" Can you inform me why was Banbury in particular fixed upon as the locality of the story? —Falgate.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1955, Georgette Heyer, Bath Tangle, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, page 149",
          "text": "Fanny, how is this? I promise you I thought the whole tale a Banbury story, but, upon my soul, what do I find but that fellow closeted with you!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1981, Joan Aiken, The Stolen Lake, London: Jonathan Cape; republished Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, page 75",
          "text": "Balderdash! Do not seek to pull wool over my eyes, miss! Fabricate me no Banbury stories!"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2003, Connie Lane [pseudonym; Constance Laux], The Viscount's Bawdy Bargain, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, page 56",
          "text": "Nor was she uncaring, mean-spirited or likely to go about spreading a Banbury story of a cock and a bull.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Michelle Styles, chapter 4, in Compromising Miss Milton (Mills & Boon Historical), Richmond, Surrey: Mills & Boon",
          "text": "'I never got the chance. Mama sent me to my room for telling fibs.' Nella's bottom lip trembled. 'She threatened to paddle me with a hairbrush. Called it a Banbury story of a cock and bull.'",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A roundabout, nonsensical story."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "roundabout",
          "roundabout"
        ],
        [
          "nonsensical",
          "nonsensical"
        ],
        [
          "story",
          "story"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, obsolete, slang, British) A roundabout, nonsensical story."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "idiomatic",
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Banbury",
        "Stony Stratford"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbænbɹi ˈstɔːɹi əv ə ˈkɒk ənd ə ˈbʊl/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbænb(ə)ɹi ˈstɔːɹi əv ə ˈkɑk ənd ə ˈbʊl/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-Banbury story of a cock and a bull.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/6d/En-au-Banbury_story_of_a_cock_and_a_bull.ogg/En-au-Banbury_story_of_a_cock_and_a_bull.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/En-au-Banbury_story_of_a_cock_and_a_bull.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "Banbury story"
    },
    {
      "word": "Banbury story of a cock and bull"
    },
    {
      "word": "Banbury tale"
    },
    {
      "word": "cock-and-bull story"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
      "word": "una història sense cap ni peus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
      "word": "une histoire sans queue ni tête"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
      "word": "unha historia sen pés nin cabeza"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
      "word": "eine Geschichte ohne Hand und Fuß"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "história sem pé nem cabeça"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "ска́зка про белого бычка (skázka pro belovo byčka, literally “tale of the white bull”)",
      "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "бред си́вой кобы́лы (bred sívoj kobýly, literally “rave of the grey mare”)",
      "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "roundabout, nonsensical story",
      "word": "una historia sin pies ni cabeza"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Banbury story of a cock and a bull"
}