Topic: MEDIA
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| Date: | 1200-1300 |
| Language: | Old French |
| Origin: | estorie, from Latin historia; HISTORY |
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sto‧ry S2 W2
plural stories [countable]
plural stories [countable]1 a description of how something happened, that is intended to entertain people, and may be true or imaginary [↪ tale] Don't be frightened - it's only a story (=it is imaginary).
for entertainment
Don't be frightened - it's only a story (=it is imaginary).2 a report in a newspaper or news broadcast about a recent event : a front-page story
news
a front-page story cover story (=the main story in a magazine, that is about the picture on the cover)
3 an account of something that has happened, usually one that people tell each other, and which may not be true : Her parents did not believe her story.
events
Her parents did not believe her story.4 an excuse or explanation, especially one that you have invented : Where were you? And don't give me some story about working late! Well that's my story (=that is what I say happened), and I'm sticking to it.
excuse
Where were you? And don't give me some story about working late!Well that's my story (=that is what I say happened), and I'm sticking to it.5 a description of the most important events in someone's life or in the development of something : the Charlie Parker Story
history
the Charlie Parker Story6 a floor or level of a building [= storey British English] a fifty-story building
building
American Englisha fifty-story building7 what happens in a film, play, or book [= plot]: The story is similar in all her books.
of a film/play etc
AThe story is similar in all her books.8 used to say the same thing is happening in another place : Unemployment is falling in the US and it's the same story in Europe.
it's the same story here/there/in ...
Unemployment is falling in the US and it's the same story in Europe.9 spoken used to say that the present bad situation has often happened before : It's the same old story - too much work and not enough time.
it's the same old story
It's the same old story - too much work and not enough time.10 spoken used to tell someone that you do not want to give them all the details that a full answer to their question would need
it's a long story
XX11 spoken used when you only give the main point of something you are talking about, and not all the other details
to cut a long story short
also to make a long story short American English12 spoken used when you have mentioned something that you are not going to talk about on this occasion
but that's another story
13 spoken used to say that there are more details which people need to know in order to understand the situation
that's not the whole story
14 spoken used after a disappointing experience to mean that similar disappointing things always seem to happen to you
that's the story of my life
15 spoken used to say that there is nothing more to say about a particular subject : As far as I'm concerned Terry is still a friend, end of story.
end of story
As far as I'm concerned Terry is still a friend, end of story.16 used to say that something is not what you expect it to be : It looks like a big house, but inside it's a different story.
a different story
It looks like a big house, but inside it's a different story. ➔ short storyWORD CHOICE:
storey, story, floorStorey (BrE) or story (AmE) is usually used to talk about the structure of a building • a building dozens of storeys high • a three-storey houseThe plural of story is stories • The office block was 20 stories high.To talk about where someone or something is in a building, use floor • We went up to the top floor. • He works on the fifteenth floor. • Is there a bathroom on this floor? ➔ See also storey
➔ cock and bull story
at cock1 (4) ➔ hard-luck story, sob story➔ success story
at success (5) ➔ see usage note storeyWORD CHOICE:WORD CHOICE: storey, story, floorStorey (BrE) or story (AmE) is usually used to talk about the structure of a building • a building dozens of storeys high • a three-storey houseThe plural of story is stories • The office block was 20 stories high.To talk about where someone or something is in a building, use floor • We went up to the top floor. • He works on the fifteenth floor. • Is there a bathroom on this floor? ➔ See also storey
