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thereby hangs a tale

Idioms  
  1. 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.

See Examples For:

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

U is for U.P.I., which told a story before it happened, and thereby hangs a tale.

From Time Magazine Archive

The last, however, was not always chained, and thereby hangs a tale.

From The Story of Books by Gertrude Burford Rawlings

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