| 单词 | to talk of a cock and a bull |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto talk of a cock and a bull (a) In collocation with bull, with reference to a long, rambling, or implausible story, as a story of a cock and a bull, to talk of a cock and a bull, etc. Now somewhat rare. [Probably so called because the unlikely pairing of subjects is suggestive of a rambling, incoherent, or nonsensical narrative; compare earlier to jump (also leap) from cock to ass at Phrases 1d. Attempts to derive the phrase from a particular story are unconvincing. (The frequently suggested derivation from travellers' gossip at two coaching inns (‘The Cock’ and ‘The Bull’) in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, is a folk etymology.)] ΚΠ 1608 J. Day Law-trickes sig. G2v That boy is worth his waight in pearle, dist marke what a tale of a Cock and a Bull, he tolde my father whilst I made thee and the rest away, by a bill of Conueyance at his back? 1667 Sir R. Moray in O. Airy Lauderdale Papers (1885) II. 83 I would not begin to talk of any matters & hee did not, so wee talkt about an hour of a cock and a bull. 1768 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued II. ii. 147 To set their hearers agape with an idle story of a cock and a bull. 1800 Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1837) I. 73 I have a letter from Stevenson who has..got accounts that Scindiah had joined the Kolapoor man..etc. etc., all about a cock and a bull. 1829 R. Southey Pilgrim to Compostella Prel. in All for Love 153 Come! out with a murder,..a Goblin,..a Ghost, Or a tale of a Cock and a Bull! 2014 M. Watman Harvest xii. 220 Is it all just a story about a cock and a bull? < as lemmas |
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