Meanings
phrase
- Used to indicate that something requires a long story or explanation to fully understand.
Origin
Coined by William Shakespeare in 1623 in "As you Like it," act 2, scene 7: : And so from hour to hour we ripe and ripe, : And then from hour to hour we rot and rot, : And thereby hangs a tale.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
thereby hangs a tale. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thereby%20hangs%20a%20tale
MLA
“thereby hangs a tale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thereby%20hangs%20a%20tale. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thereby hangs a tale,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thereby%20hangs%20a%20tale.
Source: thereby hangs a tale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.