tall
Preserved but no longer current.
Extensive, exaggerated,—generally applied to conversation, as "loud" is to dress, or personal appearance; "TALL talk that," i.e., conversation too boastful or high-flown to be true. Among pedestrians a great rate of speed is spoken of as TALL.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “tall” mean?
Extensive, exaggerated,—generally applied to conversation, as "loud" is to dress, or personal appearance; "TALL talk that," i.e., conversation too boastful or high-flown to be true. Among pedestrians a great rate of speed is spoken of as TALL.
Is “tall” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.