the story goes

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a formulaic phrase used to introduce a narrative — especially one whose authority or accuracy is uncertain, whose origins lie in oral tradition, or which the speaker cannot personally verify — signalling that what follows is a received account rather than a first-hand attestation of fact; the phrase creates a slight but important epistemic distance between the speaker and the content of the story, acknowledging that the narrative is a cultural artefact that has been passed down, shaped by telling, and may contain embellishment or error; it is used in historical storytelling, in the narration of legends and rumours, and in any context where the speaker wishes to relay a compelling account without fully vouching for its literal truth