1697. Vanbrugh, Prov. Wife, iv. 6. You slut you—you wear an impudent lewd face; a damned designing heart; and a tail—a tail full of (Falls fast asleep).
c.1704. Ward, Merry Observations, 88. Tail-trading tenants will have so little to do that they won't be able to earn a Week's Rent in ready Money in a month. Ibid. (c. 1709), Terræfilius, iii. 39. Destroys the Worm call'd Friskin, very troublesome to the Tails of most young Women.
d.1704. Brown, Works, i. 170. Women . . . busy with their Heads in the Day-time, and Tails in the evening. Ibid. ii. 104. Your lover, fair lady, is so fast link'd to his old Duegna's tail [Madame Maintenon] that he thinks no more of you. Ibid. 187. 'Tis enough to put musick into the tail of an old woman of fourscore. Ibid. ii. 262. After a good week's work send her home with foul linen . . . no money, and perhaps a hot tail into the bargain.
d.1742. Somervile, Incurious Bencher [Chalmers, Eng. Poets, xi. 238]. If you will burn your tail to tinder, Pray what have I to do to hinder?
d.1744. Pope [Chalmers, Eng. Poets, xii. 281]. 'To Mr. John Moore.' The nymph whose tail is all on flame, Is aptly termed a glow-worm.
1774. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 103. We all are mortal men and frail, And oft are guided by the tail.
1782. Stevens, Songs Comic and Satirycall, 'The Sentiment Song.' The nick makes the tail stand, the farrier's wife's mark!
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Cab . . . Mother, how many tails have you in your cab? how many girls have you in your nanny house?
3. (colloquial).—A woman's dress: espec. when trailing on the ground.
1774. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 264. Brimstones with their sweeping tails.
1883. Century, xxxvi. 128. He crossed the room, stepping over the tails of gowns, and stood before his old friend.
4. (common).—The reverse of a coin: spec, the side opposite to that bearing a head (q.v.): chiefly in phrase 'heads or tails' in tossing. Hence neither head nor tail = neither one nor the other; quite different.
1774. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 115. 'Tis heads for Greece, and tails for Troy . . . Two farthings out of three were tails.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Harp . . . is also the Irish expression for 'woman' or 'tail' used in tossing up in Ireland.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 212. The horse was laden besides with a large bundle of stuffs, of which we could make neither head nor tail. . . . He had rather toss up heads or tails with them than oblige a plain citizen in an honest way.
1821. Egan, Life in Lond. 279. Note. If the party . . . calls heads or tails, and all three coins are as he calls them, he wins.
5. (common).—In pl. = a tail-coat, as distinguished from a jacket. Charity-tails (Harrow) = a tail-coat worn by a boy in the Lower School who is considered by the Headmaster to be tall enough to require them.
1888. St. Nicholas, xiv. 406. Once a boy has reached the modern remove [Harrow], he puts on his tails or tail-coat.
6. (common).—A girl's hair, curled, plaited, etc., and allowed to hang down the back in a single strand.
1887. Congregationalist, 4 Aug. I noticed half a dozen groups of slender damsels with short frocks and long tails.
7. (colloquial.—A line of persons waiting in rank; a queue: as outside a theatre, booking-office, etc.
8. (old colloquial).—See quots.
