Meaning & use
thereby hangs
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseliterary
Used to introduce a story or explanation that follows from a small detail just mentioned.
Grammar: Always used in the full phrase 'thereby hangs a tale' or 'thereby hangs a story'; it is not used alone.
Patterns
- thereby hangs a tale
- thereby hangs a story
The old house has a strange name, and thereby hangs a tale.
He arrived late, and thereby hangs a tale of missed trains and lost luggage.
She mentioned a broken window, and thereby hangs a tale.
Common combinations
- thereby hangs a tale
- The painting was found in an attic, and thereby hangs a tale.
- and thereby hangs a tale
- The letter was never sent, and thereby hangs a tale.
- thereby hangs a story
- He lost his keys, and thereby hangs a story.
- thereby hangs a long tale
- The missing page was discovered, and thereby hangs a long tale.
Synonyms and how they differ
- that's another story
- Used to say that a full explanation would take too long; less literary than 'thereby hangs a tale'.
- that reminds me
- Signals a related story; does not imply that the story is long or complicated.
Commonly confused: thereby hangs or thereby?
thereby hangs vs thereby
Means 'by that means' and is used alone, e.g., 'He signed the contract, thereby agreeing to the terms.' It is not part of the phrase 'thereby hangs a tale'.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase 'thereby hangs' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase 'thereby hangs' is only used in the fixed expression 'thereby hangs a tale' (or 'story'), meaning that a story follows from what was just said. Option 2 is incomplete and option 1 and 4 use 'hangs' as a literal verb, which is not the idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thereby hangs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.