buck and wing

American  

noun

1. a tap dance derived in style from Irish clog dances and Black social dances, marked especially by vigorous hopping, flinging of the legs, and clicking of the heels.

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buck and wing British  

noun

1. a boisterous tap dance, derived from Black and Irish clog dances

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Etymology

Origin of buck and wing

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

Last night, while our train was on a siding, an old fellow somehow got inside the car and did a wild buck and wing dance in the aisle for pennies that were tossed from every bunk.

From Project Gutenberg

This is a dance spectacular with a company that has mastered every buck and wing, every tap and shuffle, every glide.

From Seattle Times

A girl right out there doing her buck and wing.

From Time Magazine Archive

Fitfully hazarding a buck and wing, he boasted: "I did four shows a day at McVickers' in Chicago right after the Armistice."

From Time Magazine Archive

And so everything comes to a crashing climax in Carnegie Hall, as thousands roar for the Liberace rendition of Cheer, Cheer for Old Notre Dame, and the successfully fenestrated hero does a buttery little buck and wing off-right, and into the arms of his ever-loving secretary.

From Time Magazine Archive