Select the most appropriate meaning of the underlined idiom in the given sentence.

Nobody in the conference seemed to believe the cock and bull story about such a major movie star.

Wildly exaggerated or falsified story

The most appropriate meaning of the underlined idiom in the given sentence is wildly exaggerated or falsified story.

The idiom "cock and bull story" means a story that is completely unbelievable or false. It is often used to describe a story that is full of nonsense or exaggeration.

In the given sentence, the speaker is saying that nobody in the conference seemed to believe the story about the major movie star. This means that they thought the story was a cock and bull story, or a complete fabrication.

The other options are incorrect:

• Factual story: This is the opposite of the meaning of the idiom "cock and bull story."
• Interesting story: A cock and bull story is not necessarily interesting. In fact, it is often quite boring because it is so unbelievable.
• Secretive story: A cock and bull story is not necessarily secretive. In fact, it is often told in public.