thereby hangs a tale

Idioms

That detail or incident reminds one of another story, as in So he went without supper, but thereby hangs a tale. This expression, embodying the pun on tail and tale, was used by Shakespeare in at least four of his plays and presumably was well known before that. [1500s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

No, they did not, and thereby hangs a tale.

From Scientific American • Nov. 12, 2019

On the other hand, there are also the mysterious revolutions of luck, the wheel of chance – and thereby hangs a tale.

From The Guardian • Aug. 13, 2017

Ah yes," he beams, "and thereby hangs a tale.

From The Guardian • Jun. 15, 2013

And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot; And thereby hangs a tale.

From Time Magazine Archive

The hill was long and steep, and thereby hangs a tale.

From In the Early Days along the Overland Trail in Nebraska Territory, in 1852 by Cole, Gilbert L.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023