Meaning & use
whale of a tale
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Meanings
phrasesingularinformal
a very long, exciting, and often exaggerated story about something that happened.
Grammar: Used as a countable singular phrase with 'a': you tell someone a whale of a tale.
Patterns
- tell someone a whale of a tale
- come back with a whale of a tale
- a whale of a tale about something
Uncle Ray came back from his fishing trip with a whale of a tale about the one that got away.
She told us a whale of a tale about getting lost in Tokyo with no phone and no money.
Every time he retells it, his whale of a tale gets a little longer and a lot funnier.
phrasesingularinformalhumorous
a story that is hard to believe and probably not completely true.
Grammar: Often used with a slightly doubtful or joking tone, as in 'That's a whale of a tale.'
Patterns
- sound like a whale of a tale
- That's a whale of a tale
He says he once had dinner with the president, but that sounds like a whale of a tale to me.
That's a whale of a tale, and I'm not sure I believe a word of it.
Common combinations
- tell a whale of a tale
- Grandpa loves to tell a whale of a tale whenever the family gets together.
- a whale of a tale about something
- She had a whale of a tale about her week volunteering at the animal shelter.
- come back with a whale of a tale
- The hikers came back with a whale of a tale about a storm and a lost map.
- sound like a whale of a tale
- His excuse for missing the meeting sounds like a whale of a tale.
- a real whale of a tale
- What he told the reporters was a real whale of a tale, full of drama and coincidence.
Synonyms and how they differ
- yarn
- A 'yarn' is also a long, entertaining story, often exaggerated, but it is a single noun and does not need 'of a'.
- tall tale
- A 'tall tale' is specifically a story that is impossible to believe, while a whale of a tale may be mostly true but wildly exciting.
- anecdote
- An anecdote is a short, true, usually amusing account; a whale of a tale is longer and more dramatic.
Word family
- tale noun
- a story, especially one that is invented or hard to believe.
- talebearer noun
- an old-fashioned word for someone who spreads gossip or stories about others.
Commonly confused: whale of a tale or fish story? whale of a tale or whale of a time?
whale of a tale vs fish story
A 'fish story' is an exaggerated account of a catch or similar event; a whale of a tale is broader and can be about any exciting adventure.
whale of a tale vs whale of a time
'A whale of a time' means a very enjoyable experience, not a story, so do not mix the two phrases up.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase needs the article 'a' before 'whale' and keeps 'of a' in the middle. Option 2 drops 'of a', option 3 drops the first article, and option 4 wrongly makes 'tale' plural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “whale of a tale”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.