tall story en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /tɔːl ˈstɔːɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /tɔl ˈstɔɹi/ (General-American)
- (General-American) audio
Etymology
From tall (“exaggerated”) + story.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) Synonym of tall tale (“a tale or story which is fantastic and greatly exaggerated; also, an account of questionable veracity; a lie, an untruth”).
Mary Beard, formerly professor of classics at Cambridge University, directed followers on X to her latest book, titled Emperor of Rome, which opens with a lengthy discussion of the “tall stories” told about Elagabalus.
2023 November 24, Esther Addley, “Was Roman emperor Elagabalus really trans – and does it really matter?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tall stories | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
traveller's tale · tall tale · cock-and-bull story · fish story · Banbury story of a cock and a bull