fish story

American  

noun

Informal.

1. an exaggerated or incredible story.

   It was just another one of his fish stories.

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fish story Idioms  

1. An improbable, boastful tale, as in He came up with some fish story about his winnings at the track. This expression alludes to the tendency of fishermen to exaggerate the size of their catch. [Early 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of fish story

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

"The point of the fish story is merely that the most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about," Wallace noted.

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2023

The production reminds us of this when dancers wielding IV bags emerge during his fish story.

From New York Times • May 6, 2022

Johnson has a fish story, and it’s about him.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2021

“I thought this was going to be a big fish story, but then it turned into something very different,” says Maclean, now 78.

From Washington Post • Jun. 1, 2021

That fish story went all over the hospital.

From Fanny Goes to War by Washington, Pat Beauchamp