fishtail

fishtail

Of a vehicle, for its rear to slide erratically from side to side on the road (likened to a fish's tail moving back and forth). The roads are pretty icy today, and I saw a couple of cars fishtail coming around that corner.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

fishtail

in. [for the rear of a car] to whip back and forth like a fish moving its tail. The caddy fishtailed on the curb and almost spun around.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • tailing
  • come down on the side of (someone or something)
  • come down/out on the side of somebody/something
  • take (one's) side
  • come out on the side of (someone or something)
  • the far side
  • wave at
  • wave at (someone or something)
  • wave to (someone or something)
  • bob and weave
References in periodicals archive
Thus, while there have been no reports on the topic, it is inferred that there are more cases of "fishtail deformity" after medial condyle fractures.
Plant pathogenic bacteria also infect fishtail palmcausing a leaf striping blight disease of leaves.
VINTAGE PINK AND BEADED LACE DETAIL FISHTAIL DRESS PS1,399 KUDOS COUTURE, EDINBURGH.
This narrow waist was balanced with a wider shape at the shoulder and either a flowing shape at the skirt or a fishtail style, highlighting a woman's natural hourglass shape.
back into traffic and fishtail up the hill to the house you called home.
TRY Amanda Wakeley Sposa silk tulle dress, pounds 3,500; Monsoon Klee dress, pounds 200; David Fielden fishtail dress with sequin cascade, pounds 4,444.
Gyanubaba finished the league with 23 points after winning the match against Fishtail 25-19, 25-18, 25-18 on Saturday.
Marks & Spencer online exclusive; Clockwise from left: Embroidered mesh prom dress pounds 175, chiffon wrap pounds 39.50; J by Jasper Conran ruched ballerina dress from Debenhams, pounds 250; ruched silk prom dress pounds 125; Marianne Bridal dress in ivory, pounds 160, from Monsoon; J by Jasper Conran fishtail belted dress, pounds 250; Pearce II Fionda fishtail dress, pounds 400 from Debenhams
Your car starts to fishtail because of icy road conditions, but you press on since it's only a few more miles to your house.
On her first plunge into the water she finds out that she has a natural ability as her legs change into a fishtail in the school pool.
1: Black satin and crepe fishtail dress (pounds 120), 2: red panelled Monroe dress (pounds 140), 3: black Organza fishtail dress (pounds 130), 4: silver and white pvc lap danceer outfit part of the Barbarella collection, 5: red diagonal dresss in satin and cre (pounds 120); epe; Clothes modelled by designber Su's daughter Hayley
The ice, created by a storm over parts of Nebraska, caused the aircraft to fishtail before stopping.
The costumes by fashion designer Jasper Conran range from the heavy leather boots of warmongers to fishtail slinky dresses and fanciful feathered headdresses of court women; from the extraordinary skull heads and fur jerkins of red-eyed tournament contestants to the wafting gauzes of Guinevere and her nymphs in the pastoral divertissement.
FISHTAIL EYEBROWS The first weird eyebrow trend of the year came in February, when fishtail brows started trending.