tailed men
Preserved but no longer current.
There are no such beings as tailed men, but until the mid-19th century reports every now and then cropped up of tribes with tails having been discovered in Central Africa, New Guinea, or other little- known parts.
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 “tailed men” mean?
There are no such beings as tailed men, but until the mid-19th century reports every now and then cropped up of tribes with tails having been discovered in Central Africa, New Guinea, or other little- known parts.
Is “tailed men” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.