rat-tail file

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noun

a long, narrow file having a circular cross section.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

Origin of rat-tail file

First recorded in 1840–50

Did he go to the authorities to file a report against the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel?
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Did the airline file a flight plan that took account of the weather en route from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore?
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The young man had the presence of mind to tail Gaylard Williams out of the park and jot down his license plate.
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With 3D printing you can continue to use the file and update.
3-D Printing Is Changing the Future of Prosthetics|Lucy Vernasco|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Asked what kind of support he got from rank-and-file Democrats, he paused before replying with a hearty laugh.
Repubs Should Take It From Kucinich: Impeachment Isn’t Worth It|Eleanor Clift|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The dog stood with hanging head and tail, as if ashamed he had let so many of his enemies get away unharmed.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
The Arab pricked his ears, swished his long and arched tail viciously, and showed the whites of his eyes.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Next morning Judy shouted that there was a rat in the nursery, and thus he forgot to tell her the wonderful news.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
It was no worm that Mrs. Robin had found, but Grandfather Mole's hairless tail sticking out of the ground.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
He had repeated till he was thrice weary the statement that "the Cat lay on the Mat and the Rat came in."
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling