Definition
To tell wonderful stories, or something which is amazing and remarkable.
Origins
The Classic 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue speculates "perhaps Banaghan was a minstrel famous for dealing in the marvellous."
In Context
- ""'Jack Palmer, as I'm a sinner,' cried Titus. 'Why this beats Banaghan. Arrah ! Jack, honey, what does this mean ? Is it yourself I see in such company?'""
- ""He watched her as she slowly disappeared, and shook his head with a puzzled air. ¶'This beats Banaghan, and he beats --'""
- ""'So you see, it was a gallimaufry of a mess until you appeared.' ¶ 'Beats Banaghan,' agreed the boy.""
- ""Whenever he can find an audience, Doherty will spin some tale of local history or ancestral lineage in that inimitable Irish blend of fact and blarney. 'He beats Banaghan,' as the Irish saying goes of one who tells wonderful stories.""