A cock and bull story

Chris:	It’s time to play guess that character!
Jessica:	Alright, what’s the category? History, culture, cinema…?
Chris:	Hmm… All of the above!
Jessica:	What? How is that possible?
Chris:	I swear that everything I’m about to tell you about this person is true.
Jessica:	Sounds like one of your cock and bull stories…
Chris:	OK, first clue: Many people have claimed to be him long after his death…
Jessica:	Jesus Christ!
Chris:	Oh, please!
Jessica:	Well, some people suffering from psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia claim to be people who died long ago like Jesus, or Moses, or Elvis… Is it Elvis?
Chris:	Nope. Next clue: A photo of him was sold a few years ago for $2.3 million.
Jessica:	Mmm...
Chris:	He was a celebrity in his own time, but his fame grew after his death thanks to novels, TV and films.
Jessica:	Films?
Chris:	Yes, he’s been the subject of more than 50 movies! Actors who have played him include Roy Rogers, Paul Newman, Val Kilmer and Emilio Estevez.
Jessica:	Billy the Kid!
Chris:	You got it! It was naming the actors, wasn’t it?
Jessica:	Yes, that’s what gave it away. But Chris, do you really want to say that Billy the Kid was a celebrity? Wasn’t he on the “Most Wanted List?” Didn’t he kill many people? He wasn’t famous… he was infamous!
Chris:	Hey, I never said he was a good guy! But, yes, his reputation gave him celebrity status. He is, without a doubt, one of the most remembered gunslingers of the Old West!
Jessica:	I’ve heard stories about Billy the Kid’s legendary gun fights and his impossible escapes from jail. But you have to admit that most of those stories about the Wild West are cock and bull.
Chris:	Sure, and we have a whole film genre about it: the Western! Heroic outlaws wandering the prairies and dusty towns of the western territories and getting into gunfights. Most of them are, of course, cock and bull stories, but they are so much fun to watch!
Jessica:	See, that’s my point! “Fun to watch.” It’s fun to watch an actor playing Billy the Kid showing off his skills with a revolver in a duel...
Chris:	The hot noon sun in the sky. Close-ups of the two men facing each other down. Sweat rolling down their faces. Their eyes twitch, and then...
Jessica:	…They both shoot! And there’s a dramatic musical score, and the winner rides off into the sunset… Stories like these blend with the facts, and reshape the image of a historical figure. A man who was also a gang member, a gambler, an outlaw, and a murderer.
Chris:	OK, but I think there’s more truth to the legend of Billy the Kid than you realize. Listen to this and tell me if you think it’s a cock and bull story.
Jessica:	Alright!
Chris:	The year is 1880. The place, a saloon in New Mexico. As the story goes, a drunk named Joe Grant was terrorizing the bar’s patrons and threatening to kill someone.
Jessica:	And then Billy the Kid walked in...
Chris:	Yeah! He approached Joe Grant and said, “That’s a mighty nice looking six-shooter you got there.” Then he took Grant’s gun, spun its cylinder so that the next shot would be an empty chamber, and handed back the gun. Later that evening, Grant tried to shoot Billy the Kid but when his gun didn’t fire, the Kid shot Grant dead.
Jessica:	Clever!
Chris:	So, does this sound like a cock and bull story to you?
Jessica:	I don’t know… It could be fake, but it also sounds like it could be true. I guess I just have to appreciate that the cock and bull stories about gunfighters like Billy the Kid are just part of the charm of the Wild, Wild West.

A cock and bull story

People are storytellers by nature. In fact, we could argue that the origins of all forms of culture can be traced back to our collective passion for storytelling. And with so many stories being told all the time, it’s no surprise that they are so susceptible to exaggeration. When we say that something is a “cock and bull story” we are pointing out that fantasy is being presented as fact.

So, quite simply, a cock and bull story is something improbable, unbelievable, or absurd. Whether it’s a short anecdote or a long, drawn out tale, if it’s obviously untrue then you can denounce it by saying it’s a cock and bull story. This phrase is often used to expose someone who is lying to get out of trouble.

This expression was probably inspired by myths about conversations between magical animals. It first appeared in writing in 1621, in Robert Burton’s “The Anatomy of Melancholy.”

Fun fact: It is also widely reported that this phrase originated in a town north of London called Stony Stratford. It is said that stagecoach travellers in the 18^th century who stayed at two popular inns called “The Cock” and “The Bull” would gossip and compete to see who had the wildest stories. These two inns really did exist, and still do today, however there is no evidence that their alleged feud produced this expression. Therefore this origin theory is, itself, a cock and bull story…

Example 1:

When he got pulled over for speeding, Sam started telling the officer a cock and bull story to avoid getting a ticket… It didn’t work.

Example 2:

Why is your report so late? And please don’t give me a cock and bull story. This should have been on my desk last week!

Example 3: - INCORRECT

My grandfather grew up on a farm and he used to tell me the most wonderful cock and bull stories. They were like pets to him!