Feifei Hello, and welcome to The English We Speak. I’m Feifei…
Neil … and hello, I’m Neil. Err, sorry to mention it, Feifei, but why is there a big coffee stain on your top?
Feifei Because I spilt coffee all over me!
Neil That was a bit silly… and did I notice when you arrived that you were limping?
Feifei Yes, I was - and thereby hangs a tale.
Neil Where? Did you trip over a tail?
Feifei No, Neil! I mean there is more to tell you. When we say, ‘thereby hangs a tale’ we mean what I have told you involves a longer explanation – or there is more to tell you. It’s an expression, taken from As You Like It by William Shakespeare.
So, let me explain why I have a coffee stain and a limp.
Neil If it involves me, then no!
Feifei It does.
Neil Oh. Shall we have some examples of ‘thereby hangs a tale’?
Examples A: Why are you covered in mud?
B: Well, thereby hangs a tale.
I won that medal for bravery – and thereby hangs a tale.
What a journey! All the main roads were closed so we had to drive cross-country – and thereby hangs a tale.
Feifei You’re listening to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English. I’ve been telling Neil about the phrase ‘thereby hangs a tale’. It means there is more to say about what I have already told you. Neil, can you guess what’s happened?
Neil Hmmm, so you have a limp, and you have a coffee stain on your top – were you dancing with a full cup of coffee?
Feifei I wasn’t. In fact, I was walking to the studio, carefully carrying my coffee, when I tripped over a bag of potatoes in the corridor.
Neil Ah, that’s my bag of potatoes!
Feifei I thought so. But why is there a bag of potatoes in the corridor?
Neil Well, thereby hangs a tale!
Feifei I’m all ears!
Neil I’ll tell you later. It’s time to go now. Bye.
Feifei Bye.