A “fish story” is a very American sort of legend. The fish story doesn’t need to involve fish, but it does need drama and most of all bigness. A fish story triggers the B.S. alarm of all but the most credulous listener, and unlike some legends, the moral or import of a fish story isn’t always clear.

America, which exudes bigness, coined the term “fish story,” the Oxford English Dictionary concedes. Arguably, the home of the fish story is the most folksy and maritime corner of the country, Down East Maine.