tale
What grandparents share
The noun tale is distantly related to the verb tell, and their meanings are connected.
A tale most generally is something told; in other words, a story.
Modifying adjectives are frequent to specify the kind of story: for example, fairy tale, cautionary tale (one that has a lesson), and tall tale (story with exaggerations).
Someone who is telling tales is likely lying or spreading gossip.
The tale unfolds is a way of talking about how events develop and change.
Instructive allegorical narrative
- allegorySymbolic tale with deeper meaning
- moralConcerning right conduct
- lessonUnit of teaching
- AesopAncient Greek fable writer
cautionary · wisdom · teaching · didactic · instructive · apologue · exemplum · proverbial
Account of events
plot · characters · setting · climax · genre · storytelling · authorship · imagination
Unverified traditional tale
- mythologyBody of traditional tales
- mythosBody of foundational legends
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- pantheonAll gods of a religion
gods · goddesses · deities · heroes · Olympus · Asgard · creation · cosmogony
One who tells events
- storytellerOne who recounts tales
- raconteurSkilled storyteller
- bardPoet of epics
- griotAfrican oral tradition keeper
Deliberate falsehood
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- fibTrivial, harmless falsehood
- untruthA false statement
- exaggerationOverstating beyond reality
embellishment · yarn · cock-and-bull · whopper · made-up · far-fetched · balderdash · canard
Unconfirmed circulating story
- hearsayUnverified secondhand information
- whisperSpeech without full voice
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- tittle-tattleTrivial, idle chatter
grapevine · chatter · buzz · speculation · innuendo · backbiting · scuttlebutt
Seeking journey for something
- odysseyExtended adventurous journey
- journeyTravel from place to place
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
- voyageJourney by sea
exploration · heroism · bravery · discovery · peril · treasure · swashbuckler · escapade
parable
Instructive allegorical narrative
Aesop · cautionary · wisdom · teaching · didactic · instructive · apologue · exemplum · proverbial · symbolic
story
Account of events
prose · plot · characters · setting · climax · genre · storytelling · authorship · imagination · creativity
legend
Unverified traditional tale
- mythologyBody of traditional tales
- mythosBody of foundational legends
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
pantheon · gods · goddesses · deities · heroes · Olympus · Asgard · creation · cosmogony · Hercules
narrator
One who tells events
- storytellerOne who recounts tales
- raconteurSkilled storyteller
- bardPoet of epics
griot · recounting · fireside · bedtime · oral · campfire · recital
lie
Deliberate falsehood
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- fibTrivial, harmless falsehood
- untruthA false statement
exaggeration · embellishment · yarn · cock-and-bull · whopper · made-up · far-fetched · balderdash · canard · concoction
rumor
Unconfirmed circulating story
- hearsayUnverified secondhand information
- whisperSpeech without full voice
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
tittle-tattle · grapevine · chatter · buzz · speculation · innuendo · backbiting · scuttlebutt
quest
Seeking journey for something
- odysseyExtended adventurous journey
- journeyTravel from place to place
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
voyage · exploration · heroism · bravery · discovery · peril · treasure · swashbuckler · escapade · exploit
- storiesstory, myth, legend, fable, folktales
- talesfunny stories, short story, yarns, ghost story, fable
- textstext, book, article, essay, document
- word ladder wordshead, tail, lead, gold, cold
- mythsmyth, legend, fable, creation myth, origin story
- Arabian NightsAladdin, Scheherazade, Ali Baba, Arabian Nights, Sinbad
talefact
Verifiable piece of information
truth · reality · actuality · non-fiction · history
talereport
Formal written findings
account · statement · summary · bare facts · plain truth
- fairy talesTraditional magical children's stories
- tall talesFantastical exaggerated stories
- The Canterbury TalesMedieval frame narrative collection
- old wives' taleUnfounded traditional belief
- heroic taleStory of great deeds
- folk taleTraditional oral narrative
tally, tales, folktale, fairy-tale, talebearing, talebearers, talebearer, tale-teller