What is another word for shaggy-dog stories?
Pronunciation: [ʃˈaɡidˈɒɡ stˈɔːɹɪz] (IPA) 
Shaggy-dog stories refer to long-winded, meandering tales that often end in a disappointing anticlimax or punchline. Synonyms for this type of story include tall tales, rambling stories, and long jokes. Scotch yarns, a type of shaggy-dog story popularized by Scottish storytellers, often involve lengthy setups and twists leading to humorous, but ultimately unsatisfying endings. Other similar types of stories include shaggy-dog jokes, which are humorous anecdotes that build up to a joke that often misses the mark, and fairy tales, which also often include lengthy, winding narratives that often end in unexpected ways. Overall, all of these synonyms evoke the same sense of frustration and disappointment after investing time in a story or joke with an underwhelming conclusion.
