put salt on someone's tail en · VERB
Etymology
Alluding to an old folk saying about how to catch birds.
Meanings
-
To capture or pin down someone.
This accurately describes the many biographers who have tried and failed to get close enough to Newman to put salt on his tail.
2013, Edward Short, Newman and his Family, page 322:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lay salt on someone's tail | alternative | lexicographic | |
| puts salt on someone's tail | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| putting salt on someone's tail | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| put salt on someone's tail | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| put salt on someone's tail | Tense=Past | lexicographic |