Idiom: with one’s tail between one’s legs

Meaning

Idiom: with one’s tail between one’s legs

to be ashamed or embarrassed after a negative experience or a failure (like a dog that’s been scolded)

Notes:

This is like when a dog is feeling sad or defeated, and its tail droops down between its legs.

When we say someone left "with their tail between their legs," it means they left the situation feeling very low and defeated.

Example sentences

— When my supervisor yelled at me for being late, my colleague explained that I had taken my father to chemotherapy—then my boss walked away with his tail between his legs.

— I sat at the meeting with my tail between my legs because I was the only person who hadn’t completed their part of the project.

— After attempting to impress his date with his dance moves, Tom left the party with his tail between his legs (as well as ripped pair of pants).

— The politician left the debate with his tail between his legs, as he failed to defend his policies.

— After letting three goals get by him in the last two minutes, the goalie walked off the field with his tail between his legs.

— Every time I have to speak in public I remember how I failed my first oral presentation. It was horrible and I left the classroom with my tail between my legs.

— After his disastrous attempt at cooking dinner, Jim left the kitchen with his tail between his legs - and a smoke detector going off in the background.

— My boyfriend kept boasting about his trivia knowledge but he left the bar early with his tail between his legs after getting all the answers wrong in the trivia game.

— After his marriage proposal was rejected in front of everyone, the man left the restaurant with his tail between his legs.

— After my friend and I got caught cheating on our math test, we left the classroom with our tails between our legs.

— When the stock market crashed, many investors left the trading floor with their tails between their legs.

— The football team left the stadium with their tails between their legs after suffering a humiliating 42-0 defeat.

— The defeated candidate stood helplessly on stage with his tail between his legs after the election results were announced.

— I sat at the table with my tail between my legs as my grandmother explained to my parents how I didn't help her set the table for dinner.

Synonyms

hang one's head
lick one's wounds
eat crow
eat humble pie

Idiom: with one’s tail between one’s legs

Meaning

Example sentences

Synonyms

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