fish story
noun
: an extravagant or incredible story
Example Sentences
He told a ridiculous fish story about a swarm of giant mosquitoes.
Recent Examples on the Web But the folk tale has seemingly remained just that — a fish story. 
Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2022 Kipling’s fame reached across the globe in those last years of the 19th century, and so Oregonians reveled in his fish story. oregonlive, 6 Jan. 2022 Simply email your true fish story, no tall tales, to fputthoff@nwadg.com. Flip Putthoff, Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2021 Then it gets spread all over town in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's annual fish story contest. Flip Putthoff, Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2021 Biggest fish story: The ongoing collapse of cod in the Gulf of Alaska and the closure of the fishery. Anchorage Daily News, 7 Jan. 2020 The Arctic Report Cards each December since then have been a northern fish story, with the salmon getting bigger with each telling. Anchorage Daily News, 14 Dec. 2019 Every fisherman has a big fish story that their friends find hard to believe. Danny Hermosillo, Houston Chronicle, 28 Aug. 2019 Share your fish stories, adventures, tips and tricks at tightlinesboise@gmail.com. Jordan Rodriguez, idahostatesman, 12 July 2018 See More
Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2022 Kipling’s fame reached across the globe in those last years of the 19th century, and so Oregonians reveled in his fish story. oregonlive, 6 Jan. 2022 Simply email your true fish story, no tall tales, to fputthoff@nwadg.com. Flip Putthoff, Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2021 Then it gets spread all over town in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's annual fish story contest. Flip Putthoff, Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2021 Biggest fish story: The ongoing collapse of cod in the Gulf of Alaska and the closure of the fishery. Anchorage Daily News, 7 Jan. 2020 The Arctic Report Cards each December since then have been a northern fish story, with the salmon getting bigger with each telling. Anchorage Daily News, 14 Dec. 2019 Every fisherman has a big fish story that their friends find hard to believe. Danny Hermosillo, Houston Chronicle, 28 Aug. 2019 Share your fish stories, adventures, tips and tricks at tightlinesboise@gmail.com. Jordan Rodriguez, idahostatesman, 12 July 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
from the traditional exaggeration by fishermen of the size of fish almost caught
First Known Use
1819, in the meaning defined above