Banbury story of a cock and a bull

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English

WOTD – 1 April 2017
Pub signs of The Cock and The Bull in Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Etymology

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.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

Banbury story of a cock and a bull (plural Banbury stories of a cock and a bull)

  1. (idiomatic, obsolete, slang, British) A roundabout, nonsensical story.
    • , London: Printed; and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster, →OCLC:
      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.]
  • 1955, Georgette Heyer, Bath Tangle, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, page 149:
    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!
  • 1981, Joan Aiken, The Stolen Lake, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN; republished Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN, page 75:
    Balderdash! Do not seek to pull wool over my eyes, miss! Fabricate me no Banbury stories!
  • 2003, Connie Lane [pseudonym; Constance Laux], The Viscount's Bawdy Bargain, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 56:
    Nor was she uncaring, mean-spirited or likely to go about spreading a Banbury story of a cock and a bull.
  • 2010, Michelle Styles, chapter 4, in Compromising Miss Milton (Mills & Boon Historical), Richmond, Surrey: Mills & Boon, →ISBN:
    '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.'

    • Alternative forms

    Synonyms

    Translations

    roundabout, nonsensical story

    See also

    References

    1. ^ Gary Martin (1997–) “A cock and bull story”, in The Phrase Finder, retrieved 28 December 2016.
    • William Carew Hazlitt, comp. (1907), English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases Collected from the Most Authentic Sources, Alphabetically Arranged and Annotated, with Much Matter not Previously Published, London: Reeves and Turner, OCLC 1300770, archived from the original on 1 October 2015; republished New York, N.Y.: Bartleby.com, March 2012: “A Banbury story of a cock and bull. Grose.”
    • Eric Partridge (2006) “Banbury story (of a cock and bull)”, in Jacqueline Simpson, editor, The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang, 6th edition, London: Routledge, →ISBN.
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