183[?]. Greville, Memoirs, 19 Jan. He [William IV.] lives a strange life at Brighton, with tagrag and bobtail about him, and always open house.
1837. Barham, Ingolds. Leg. 11. 109. Tag, Rag, and Bobtail are capering there.
Tag-end, subs. phr. (colloquial).—The
fag-end; the concluding
portion.
1891. E. L. Bynner, Begum's Daughter, xix. She heard the tag-end of the conversation.
Taglioni, subs. [obsolete]. An
overcoat: named after the dancer.
1837. Barham, Ingolds. Leg., 'S. Romwold.' I've bought to protect myself well, a Good stout Taglioni and gingham umbrella.
Tagrhyme, subs. (old).—A
rhymester.
1698. Farquhar, Love and a Bottle ii. 3. I long to see Mr. Tagrhyme . . . these poets must have something extra-*ordinary in their faces.
Tagster, subs. (provincial).—A
scold, a virago (Halliwell).
Tagtail, subs. (colloquial).—A
parasite; a hanger-on.
Tail, subs. (vulgar).—1. The
lower or latter end; the behind
(q.v.): see Arse. Hence, Kiss
my tail = Kiss my arse: a contemptuous
retort; to turn tail
= (1) to turn one's back on; (2)
to run away, to shirk; top over
tail = arse over head; the
tail end = the fag-end (q.v.).
. . . Chester Plays, ii. 176. Thou take hym by the toppe and I by the tayle, A sorrowfull songe in faith he shall singe.
. . . MS. Harl., 1701, f. 59. Wyth here kercheves the devylys sayle, Elles shul they go to helle bothe top and tayle.
[?]. MS. Cantab., Ff. ii. 38. f. 76. Soche a strokk he gaf hym then, that the dewke bothe hors and man turned toppe ovyr tayle.
14[?]. Turnament of Totenham [Hazlitt, Early Pop. Poet., iii. 97]. Thei did but ran ersward, And ilke a man went bakward Toppe ouer tayle.
1460. Frere and Boye [Hazlitt, Early Pop. Poet., iii. 79]. Lowde coude she blowe. Some laughed without fayle, Some sayd: dame, tempre thy tayle.
d. 1529. Skelton, Bouge of Court. [Chalmers, Eng. Poets, ii. 253]. What reuell route quod he, and gan to rayle How ofte he hit Ienet on the tayle . . . How ofte he knocked at her klycket gate. [Possibly sense 2.]
1551. Still, Gammer Gurton's Needle [Dodsley, Old Plays (Hazlitt), iii. 216]. Thou wert as good kiss my tail.
1562. Jack Juggler [Dodsley, Old Plays (Hazlitt), ii. 130]. Jack Jugg. . . . thy wits do thee fail. Care. Yea, marry, sir, you have beaten them down into my tail.
d. 1586. Sir P. Sidney (Latham). Would she turn tail . . . and fly quite out another way.
1595. Shakspeare, Two Gent. ii. 3. Pan. Where should I lose my tongue? Launce. In thy tale, Pan, In thy tail!
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Culo. The arse, tail, fundament, or bum.
1599. Hall, Satires, i. i. 11. Nor can I crouch and writhe my fawning tayle. Ibid., iv. ii. And seven more plod at a patron's tayle.
1611. Cotgrave, Dict., s.v. Cul. An arse, bumme, tayle, nockandroe, fundament.
1621. Sylvester, Du Bartas. 'The Furies.' Our Sire . . . Turn'd tail to God, and to the Fiend his face.
1632. Jonson, Magnetic Lady, v. 4. Would thou had'st a dose of pills . . . to make thee turn tail t'other way. Ibid. (1633), Tale of a Tub, iii. 3. Pup. Let me take this rump out of your mouth. Dame T. What mean you by that, sir? Pup. Rump and taile's all one . . . I would not say sur-reverence, the tale Out of your mouth, but rather take the rump.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, i. 117. Barytonising with his tail.
1663. Butler, Hudibras, i. iii. Yet shame and honour might prevail To keep thee thus from turning tail.
