Tail-end Charlie
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An R.A.F. phrase in World War H for the last aircraft of a group on a mission — usually far behind the others and the recipient of spiteful attention from the enemy.
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 “Tail-end Charlie” mean?
An R.A.F. phrase in World War H for the last aircraft of a group on a mission — usually far behind the others and the recipient of spiteful attention from the enemy.
Is “Tail-end Charlie” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.