tail between one's legs

See also: tail-between-one's-legs

English

Alternative forms

• tail-between-one's-legs (attributive)

Adverb

tail between one's legs (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.

   He retreated from the fight with his tail between his legs.

   He came back home, tail between his legs.

Translations

defeated; in a cowardly or miserable manner

• Dutch: de staart tussen de benen
• French: la queue entre les jambes (fr)
• Polish: z uszami spuszczonymi po sobie, z podwiniętym ogonem
• Russian: поджав хвост (podžav xvost)

• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: подвити реп, подвијеног репа

  Roman: podviti rep, podvijenog repa

• Spanish: con la cola entre las piernas