Tail of straw

[Estro Felino]

Hi guys
What I hate about English is that there is not an idiom that I really love.
Which is "having the tail of straw".
We use it here when someone intends to criticize or make fun of particular behavior. If a person protests about this irony or this criticism, the first person may think that the latter feels particularly targeted because it is something they usually do. So the person who criticized asks them :"do you have the tail of straw?"
Example:
When Rizzo and the other girls sang a song to make fun of Sandy (without mentioning her), Sandy listens to them, and feels targeted. So in the Italian dubbed version, at 1:58
Sandy: You're making fun of me, Riz?
Rizzo: Do you have the tail of straw, honey?
LOL

 

[Estro Felino]

I love Grease.
It is the absolute perfection

 

[Stonetree]

I love Grease.
It is the absolute perfection

Am I correct that the idiom,'tail of straw' means someone is being too sensitive to casual criticism?

 

[Estro Felino]

Am I correct that the idiom,'tail of straw' means someone is being too sensitive to casual criticism?

Yes...the example of the Sandra Dee song is a clear example. They were making fun of her, without mentioning her name. But she realized they were speaking of her...so she has the tail of straw.

 

[Revoltingest]

What I hate about English is that there is not an idiom that I really love.

It's not that there are none.
You just don't know them.

 

[Stonetree]

Yes...the example of the Sandra Dee song is a clear example. They were making fun of her, without mentioning her name. But she realized they were speaking of her...so she has the tail of straw.

If someone is wrongfully accused of a trait or an action, can they be said to have a 'tail of straw'?

 

[Estro Felino]

It's not that there are none.
You just don't know them.

Great!
How would you translate "tail of straw"?

 

[Estro Felino]

If someone is wrongfully accused of a trait or an action, can they be said to have a 'tail of straw'?

No...because the criticism is in general.
The person who makes criticism does not mention anyone in particular.
It is the person with the tail of straw who feels called, who feels targeted.

 

[Stonetree]

Great!
How would you translate "tail of straw"?

I can think of one idiom(?) in American English.......'Wait until the second shoe drops."...Wait until the end of the story or wait we don't know all the evidence yet

 

[Stonetree]

No...because the criticism is in general.
The person who makes criticism does not mention anyone in particular.
It is the person with the tail of straw who feels called, who feels targeted.

Okay....now I think I understand that part is necessary for the idiom......Grazi

 

[Estro Felino]

I can think of one idiom(?) in American English.......'Wait until the second shoe drops."

.I guess this Latin expression explains it perfectly
Excusatio non petita, accusatio manifesta - Wikipedia

 

[Revoltingest]

Great!
How would you translate "tail of straw"?

I've no good feeling for its meaning.
But we've many good idioms, eg, describing
someone pretending to be a cowboy:
"all hat, & no cattle"

 

[Estro Felino]

I've no good feeling for its meaning.
But we've many good idioms, eg, describing
someone pretending to be a cowboy:
"all hat, & no cattle"

That's another idiom.
We have that too.

 

[Stevicus]

Hi guys
What I hate about English is that there is not an idiom that I really love.
Which is "having the tail of straw".
We use it here when someone intends to criticize or make fun of particular behavior. If a person protests about this irony or this criticism, the first person may think that the latter feels particularly targeted because it is something they usually do. So the person who criticized asks them :"do you have the tail of straw?"
Example:
When Rizzo and the other girls sang a song to make fun of Sandy (without mentioning her), Sandy listens to them, and feels targeted. So in the Italian dubbed version, at 1:58
Sandy: You're making fun of me, Riz?
Rizzo: Do you have the tail of straw, honey?
LOL

I guess in that particular scene, the same line in English was "Some people are so touchy."

 

[Estro Felino]

I guess in that particular scene, the same line in English was "Some people are so touchy."

Yeah
..the Italian dubbers preferred to change that line with an idiom.
With that idiom Rizzo meant: "we were not speaking of you...don't feel targeted"

 

[Stevicus]

Yeah
..the Italian dubbers preferred to change that line with an idiom.
With that idiom Rizzo meant: "we were not speaking of you...don't feel targeted"

There is an idiom in English "If the shoe fits, wear it." But that's more or less an acknowledgement that "yes, we were speaking of you."

 

[Estro Felino]

I've no good feeling for its meaning.
But we've many good idioms, eg, describing
someone pretending to be a cowboy:
"all hat, & no cattle"

In italian it's more barbecue-like...

All smoke and no brisket.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

What I hate about English is that there is not an idiom that I really love.
Which is "having the tail of straw". We use it here when someone intends to criticize or make fun of particular behavior. If a person protests about this irony or this criticism, the first person may think that the latter feels particularly targeted because it is something they usually do. So the person who criticized asks them :"do you have the tail of straw?"

I'd say that comes close to English's thin-skinned, meaning sensitive to criticism or insults.

I just learned a little Italian: avere la coda di paglia. There's a famous American feminist named Paglia.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Hi guys
What I hate about English is that there is not an idiom that I really love.
Which is "having the tail of straw".
We use it here when someone intends to criticize or make fun of particular behavior. If a person protests about this irony or this criticism, the first person may think that the latter feels particularly targeted because it is something they usually do. So the person who criticized asks them :"do you have the tail of straw?"
Example:
When Rizzo and the other girls sang a song to make fun of Sandy (without mentioning her), Sandy listens to them, and feels targeted. So in the Italian dubbed version, at 1:58
Sandy: You're making fun of me, Riz?
Rizzo: Do you have the tail of straw, honey?
LOL

We might say instead "Are you sitting in the cat-bird seat?" It comes from a famous short story called The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It was written by James Thurber.

Catbird seat - Wikipedia

Not everyone will recognize the phrase if you use it. Many people won't know what you're talking about, however some of us will. But you will be placing yourself into the position of the detestable Mrs. Barrows who torments Walter Mitty in this story. He gets his revenge upon her.

 

[Alien826]

From the bible .. "the guilty flee when no man pursues".

Or "Did I strike a nerve there?"

Or "If the cap fits, wear it."