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have the world by the tail. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
have the world by the tail, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
have the world by the tail in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Pronunciation
Verb
have the world by the tail (third-person singular simple present has the world by the tail, present participle having the world by the tail, simple past and past participle had the world by the tail)
- (idiomatic) To possess great influence and opportunity.
1919, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 15, in A Man Four-Square:"Webb thinks he's got the world by the tail for a downhill pull. I'll show him."
1938 February 28, “Give Us Colonies!!”, in Time, retrieved 7 August 2013:No nation had the World by the tail this week, but the rear end of the British lion was within measurable distance of Adolf Hitler's grasp.
Usage notes
- Also appears in such similar phrases as grab the world by the tail, got the world by the tail.
- Often used in describing a situation in which a person possesses great, and perhaps excessive, self-confidence.
See also