noun
boastful story; tall tale
Idiomatic expression referring to an exaggerated, self-aggrandizing story, likened to the boasting of a tengu.
彼の成功談はどうも天狗話に聞こえる。
His success story sounds like a boastful tale.
noun
story about tengu
Literal meaning: a tale or legend featuring tengu (mythical creatures). Less common than the idiomatic sense.
See also: 天狗
この絵巻には天狗話がいくつか描かれている。
This picture scroll depicts several stories about tengu.
Compound of 天狗 (tengu, a mythical boastful creature) and 話 (story). The idiomatic sense comes from the tengu's association with arrogance and boasting.