shirttailn.adj.
/ˈʃəːtteɪl/, U.S. /ˈʃər(t)ˌteɪl/ A. n.
In singular and plural. The lower part of a shirt, extending below the waist, esp. at the back.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > shirt > part of > tail(s)
shirt lapc1300
shirttail1659
tails1845
1659 E. Sammon et al. Discov. Educ. Schollars Cambr. 7 One of the Schollars hung a piece of his shirt-tayl or linnen, or some such thing, upon the Gown of the Mayor's Officer, in contempt and derision to the Mayor.
1809 W. Irving Hist. N.Y. II. vi. i. 76 Every man being ordered to tuck in his shirt tail and pull up his brogues.
1873 C. G. Leland Egyptian Sketch-bk. 47 Rushing madly about, their blue-and-white shirt-tails waving in the wind.
1956 Marriage & Family 18 4/2 He..used a rag to dry himself with, instead of his shirt-tail.
2001 S. Fatsis Word Freak xvi. 243 Bob Felt is at his disheveled worst, shirttails untucked, pants unbelted.
B. adj. (in attributive use). U.S. regional.
1.
a. Of a child, esp. a boy: very young. Usually in shirttail boy.
ΘΚΠ
the world > people > person > child > boy > [noun]
knightc893
knapec1000
knaveOE
knape childc1175
knave-childa1225
groom?c1225
knight-bairnc1275
pagec1300
mana1382
swainc1386
knave-bairna1400
little mana1425
man-childa1438
boy1440
little boya1475
lad1535
boykin1540
tomboya1556
urchin1556
loonc1560
kinchin-co(ve)1567
big boy1572
dandiprat1582
pricket1582
boy child1584
callant1597
suck-egg1609
nacketc1618
custrel1668
hospital-boy1677
whelp1710
laddie1721
charity-boy1723
pam-child1760
chappie1822
bo1825
boyo1835
wagling1837
shirttail boy1840
boysie1846
umfaan1852
nipper1859
yob1859
fellow-my-lad?1860
laddo1870
chokra1875
shegetz1885
spalpeen1891
spadger1899
bug1900
boychick1921
sonny boy1928
sonny1939
okie1943
lightie1946
outjie1961
oke1970
1840 Mississippian 16 Oct. D—d little snotty-nosed shirt-tail boys.
1865 Boston Daily Advertiser 21 Sept. The wails of 380 widows and shirt-tail children were going up to the God of right!
1938 M. K. Rawlings Yearling xxxiii. 421 Nobody but your folks'll bother with a little ol' shirt-tail boy like you.
1991 J. Still Wolfpen Notebks. 78 When I was a shirttail boy my Pap used to kill us a mess of snowbirds for supper in the winter time.
b. depreciative. Esp. of a place: small; of little or no significance; spec. designating a trader or business operating on a very small scale.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > smallness > [adjective]
smallOE
littleOE
litec1275
a little wightc1275
petitc1390
weea1525
pusill1599
slender1610
lile1633
scantling1652
piccaninny1707
pinkie1718
insignificant1748
baby1750
leetle1755
tiddy1781
bit1786
inconsiderable1796
itty1798
peerie1808
tittya1825
titty-tottya1825
ickle1846
tiddly1868
peewee1877
lil1881
shirttail1881
inextensive1890
puny1898
liddle1906
pint-sized1921
pint-size1925
peedie1929
tenas1935
itsy-bitsy1938
itty-bitty1940
titchy1950
scrappy1985
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [adjective] > of little importance or trivial
eathlyc890
lighteOE
littleOE
small?c1225
singlec1449
easy1474
triflous1509
naughty1526
slender1530
slight1548
shrimpish1549
slipper1567
truanta1572
toyous1581
trivious1583
mean1585
silly1587
nicea1594
puny?1594
puisne1598
pusill1599
whindling1601
sapless1602
non-significant1603
poor1603
unsignificant1603
flea-bite1605
perishing1605
lank1607
weightless1610
fonda1616
penny farthing1615
triviala1616
unweighty1621
transitory1637
twattling1651
inconsiderate1655
unserious1655
nugal1656
small drink1656
slighty1662
minute1668
paddling1679
snitling1682
retail1697
Lilliputian1726
vain1731
rattletrap1760
peppercornish1762
peppercorn1791
underling1804
venial1806
lightweight1809
floccinaucical1826
small-bore1833
minified1837
trantlum1838
piffling1848
tea-tabular1855
potty1860
whipping-snapping1861
tea-gardeny1862
quiddling1863
twaddling1863
fidgeting1865
penny ante1865
feather-weighted1870
jerkwater1877
midget1879
mimsy1880
shirttail1881
two-by-four1885
footle1894
skittery1905
footery1929
Mickey Mouse1931
chickenshit1934
minoritized1945
marginal1952
marginalized1961
tea-party1961
little league1962
marginalizing1977
minnowy1991
1881 Galveston (Texas) Daily News 23 Mar. We always avail ourselves of the privilege of saying ‘go slow’ when we learn of a little shirt-tail village asking to be incorporated.
1887 Atchison (Kansas) Daily Champion 9 Jan. It is foolish to buy of a shirt-tail yard as long as Pomeroy [Coal Company] is in the trade.
1929 W. Faulkner Sound & Fury 256 My people owned slaves here when you all were running little shirt tail country stores.
1968 East Liverpool (Ohio) Rev. 1 Feb. 4/1 The United States..loses a spy ship to a shirt-tail country with a rowboat navy.
2. Designating a distant relative.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > [adjective] > distantly
removed1502
great1549
distant1671
far-away1817
far-off1828
far1859
shirttail1875
1875 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Daily Sentinel 17 Sept. 1/6 Washburn's friends urged that he ought to receive the nomination because he was a shirt-tail cousin to the celebrated Washburns.
1975 Publishers Weekly 8 Sept. 57/2 A shirttail relation of the hotel-owning branch of the family.
2008 New Yorker 24 Mar. 69/1 I had the sense..that Jacob and Ilan were shirt-tail cousins of some kind.
Phrases
ΚΠ
1839 Spirit of Times 9 Feb. 411/1 He [sc. a stag] made a short tack, and a straight shirt-tail for Lake Concordia.
1914 Winchester (Indiana) Jrnl. 1 Apr. We give the junior doctor a quarter and thanked him and made a straight shirt-tail for home.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2021; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1659