[In its origin app. referring to some story or fable. The early use of the phrase is parallel to that of the French coq-à-l’âne; cf. COCKALANE 2.]
1. lit.
1660. S. Fisher, Rusticks Alarm, Wks. (1679), 409. What a strange Story is here! as if a man should tell a Tale of two things, a Cock and a Bull, metamorphozed into one, whereof the one having been as confidently as untruly avowed to be assuredly known to be the other, viz. the Cock to be a Bull, is [being denyed] as ridiculously as reasonlessly profer’d to be proved in this illegal and illogical way of Argumentation, [etc.].
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., 66. That cocks and bulls might discourse, and hinds and panthers hold conferences about religion.
2. To talk of, a story of, a cock and a bull: (to tell) a long rambling, idle story; tedious, disconnected or misleading talk. Cf. F. coq-à-l’âne.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. ii. IV. (1651), 274. Some mens whole delight is … to talk of a Cock and Bull over a pot.
1667. Sir R. Moray, in Lauderd. Papers (1885), II. 83. I would not begin to talk of any matters & hee did not, so wee talkt about an hour of a cock and a bull.
1681. Trial S. Colledge, 16. We call you to that particular of the Papers, and you run out in a story of a Cock and a Bull, and I know not what.
1714. trans. T. à Kempis’ Chr. Exerc., IV. xxix. 273. There being here neither beginning nor end … but they skip from a Cock to a Bull.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), I. 430. To set their hearers agape with an idle story of a cock and a bull.
1800. Wellington, in Gurw., Disp., I. 73. I have a letter from Stevenson who has … got accounts that Scindiah had joined the Kolapoor man … &c. &c., all about a cock and a bull!
1829. Southey, Pilgr. Compostella, Prel. Come! out with a murder,… a Goblin,… a Ghost, Or a tale of a Cock and a Bull!
3. A cock and (a) bull story (tale, yarn): an idle, concocted, incredible story; a canard.
1796. Burney, Mem. Metastasio, II. 77. Not to tire you with the repetition of all the cock and bull stories which I have formerly told you, [etc.].
1863. Kingsley, Water-bab., vi. 243. They invented a cock-and-bull story, which I am sure I never told them.
1876. F. E. Trollope, Charming Fellow, I. xvi. 230. He told me a cock-and-a-bull story about his father’s devotion to science.
