tail end (of something)
1. The rear or hindmost part of a person or animal; the place where an animal's tail is or would be. The tail end of the fish has distinctive purple stripes. I fell off the horse and landed right on my tail end.
2. The last or concluding part, portion, or period of something. The singer just walked off the stage at the tail end of the concert without saying a word. A: "Are you enjoying the book I got you for Christmas?" B: "Yeah, I'm at the tail end already!" A: "I hope they get to my part of the performance today." B: "Don't hold your breath—you're at the tail end of the list."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
tail end
1. The rear or hindmost part, as in Douglas was at the tail end of the academic procession. [Mid-1700s]
2. The very end, the conclusion, as in Only at the tail end of his speech did he thank his sponsors. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.