Tail
Could the dot of the “i” be the tail of a cat?
“Tail” is an appendage at the back end of something. A kite has a tail. People have the remainder of a tail in the tail bone.
Tale
Do you drink an ale while you are telling a tale?
Probably I could go into some detailed analysis of the history of each word, but something silly seems a better way to remember which one to use.
Examples:
- The dog wagged his tail so hard that he knocked the glass off the table.
- “tail” = an animal’s appendage, the last part over the fence
- The glass hitting the floor interrupted the old gentlemen who were telling tall tales about hunting.
- “tale” = a story, often fictitious or exaggerated
- “That was the biggest white-tailed buck I ever saw. I tracked him for twenty-five miles.”
- “tail” = the deer’s appendage. In this case, it is white.
- Crash! “Oh, Bill, there went your ale! That’s what you get for telling such a tale.”
- “tale” = a story, often fictitious or exaggerated
Credits: Photo by Alex Meier, Photo by Alex Meier on Unsplash
