Cut and long taH
Preserved but no longer current.
One and another, all of every description. The phrase had its origin in the practice of cutting the tails of certain dogs and horses, and leaving others in their natural state, so that cut and long tail horses or dogs included all the species, Master Slender says he will maintain Anne Page like a gentlewoman. "Ah!
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Cut and long taH” mean?
One and another, all of every description. The phrase had its origin in the practice of cutting the tails of certain dogs and horses, and leaving others in their natural state, so that cut and long tail horses or dogs included all the species, Master Slender says he will maintain Anne Page like a gentlewoman. "Ah!
Is “Cut and long taH” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.