tail between one's legs

English

Alternative forms

• tail-between-one's-legs (attributive)

Adverb

tail between one's legs (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) A reaction to a confrontation, specifically one with excessive shame and hurt pride.

   He retreated from the fight with his tail between his legs.

   He came back home, tail between his legs.

Translations

defeated; in a cowardly or miserable manner

• Dutch: de staart tussen de benen (nl)
• French: la queue entre les jambes (fr)
• Russian: поджав хвост (ru) (podžav xvost)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: подвити реп (sh), подвијеног репа (sh)

  Roman: podviti rep (sh), podvijenog repa (sh)

• Spanish: con la cola entre las piernas (es)