on my tail
17
7.9
- idiom
:
seguir de cerca
- Charlie's right on your tail.
- right on my tail
- stay on my tail
- cops on my tail
Examples
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They'll be right there on your tail.
Academic text (2005) -
Tony I can see you, I'm right on your tail.
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Well, we're hot on your tail.
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Easy, you got Pretty Boy on your tail.
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Keep them on your tail.
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I'll be on your tail until you kill me.
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You have two Japanese fighters coming up on your tail.
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Right, you've got someone on your tail.
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He's right on my tail, sir.
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My editor wants me to stay on your tail until I get that exclusive.
Synonyms
5
5.3
Chasing someone quickly right after they run away
Close behind someone and almost catching them
Antonyms
How Close
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'on' (locative), 'my' (possessive) and 'tail' used metaphorically as a follower, so a learner who knows those constituent senses can infer someone is closely behind or pursuing them. The spatial image of something being 'on one's tail' (like on one's heels) is a transparent locative metaphor found across many languages, making the meaning predictable to B1 learners who know the parts.
Etymology
On my tail may come from the image of an animal or person with a tail right behind them. If something is on your tail, it feels very close and keeps 'following' or 'pursuing' you, so the phrase means being followed closely.