# cock-and-bull story

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cock-and-bull-story
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity.

## Examples

- Don't believe his cock-and-bull story about meeting a famous actor.
- He invents a cock-and-bull story every time he loses his homework.
- She told us some cock-and-bull story about why she was late, but nobody believed her.
- The salesman tried to sell me an expensive insurance plan with a cock-and-bull story about a secret law that requires every homeowner to buy it.
- The old sailor entertained the tavern with a cock-and-bull story of sea monsters and buried treasure, though his listeners knew every word was invented.

## Origin

Unknown. The phrase is noted as similar in meaning and form to French coq-à-l'âne (“satire, incoherent story”, literally “cock to the ass”) which was borrowed into Scots as cockalane. theories of origin Theories of the term's ultimate origin include allusions to stories which feature talking animals and that the term refers to gossip typical of what were historically two coaching inns, The Cock and The Bull, in Stony Stratford, England.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.