Banbury story of a cock and a bull
Syllables: Ban·bury story of a cock and a bullUK/ˈbænbɹi ˈstɔːɹi əv ə ˈkɒk ənd ə ˈbʊl/US/ˈbænb(ə)ɹi ˈstɔːɹi əv ə ˈkɑk ənd ə ˈbʊl/
Banbury story of a cock and a bull noun: a roundabout, nonsensical story.
Noun
Banbury story of a cock and a bull (plural Banbury stories of a cock and a bull)
- A roundabout, nonsensical story.
- 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.[1725, “BANBURY STORY”, in A New Canting Dictionary: Comprehending All the Terms, Antient and Modern, Used in the Several Tribes of Gypsies, Beggars, Shoplifters, Highwaymen, Foot-Pads, and All Other...
- Banbury story of a cock and a bull. A roundabout nonſenſical ſtory.[1785, [Francis Grose], “Banbury story of a cock and a bull”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, London: Printer for S. Hooper, No. 212, High Holborn, →OCLC
- Synonyms:
- Banbury tale, cock-and-bull story
Synonyms of Banbury story of a cock and a bull
Forms of Banbury story of a cock and a bull
| plural | Banbury stories of a cock and a bull |
|---|---|
| alternative form | Banbury story |
| alternative form | Banbury story of a cock and bull |
Origin of Banbury story of a cock and a bull
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.
Questions about Banbury story of a cock and a bull
- What does Banbury story of a cock and a bull mean?
- Banbury story of a cock and a bull means a roundabout, nonsensical story.
- What part of speech is Banbury story of a cock and a bull?
- Banbury story of a cock and a bull is a noun.
- How do you pronounce Banbury story of a cock and a bull?
- Banbury story of a cock and a bull is pronounced /ˈbænbɹi ˈstɔːɹi əv ə ˈkɒk ənd ə ˈbʊl/ (UK).
- What is the plural of Banbury story of a cock and a bull?
- The plural of Banbury story of a cock and a bull is Banbury stories of a cock and a bull.
Words near Banbury story of a cock and a bull in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: Banbury story of a cock and a bull (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-au-Banbury story of a cock and a bull.ogg.
Cite this entry: “Banbury story of a cock and a bull.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/banbury_story_of_a_cock_and_a_bull. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.