English▸ noun West Indian English a traditional African folk tale about Anancy the spider, who overcomes others by cunning.
▪ an elaborate evasive story or lie:
the minister had left the country and so could not give his side of the nancy story.
▪ a superstitious belief:
God is a nancy story, you hear.
– ORIGIN nancy, shortening of Anancy, from Akan ananse ‘spider’.