History Main / TattleTail

* ''Literature/{{The Rising of the Shield Hero}}'': The Main/LittleBitBeastly raccoon demi-human Raphtalia often wags her tail when trying to deny wanting or needing something. I.e. early on in the series when Naofumi notices Raphtalia watching other children playing with a ball, he asks if she wants one. Despite Raphtalia emphatically denying her want for one, her tail indicates quite the opposite.
* ''Literature/SpiceAndWolf'': Horo, being a sapient wolf in human guise [[LittleBitBeastly with wolf ears and tail]], can give away her moods with her tail. When entering a city, for example, Lawrence becomes aware of Horo's tail wagging when she sees and smells apples at a stall along the main road. And her tail can swish angrily when she's in a foul mood, as well. She also wags her tail in "Wolf and the Amber Melancholy" when she thinks about Lawrence doting on her while she's sick. And it stops when she sees that Lawrence brought Nora Arendt to check on her, as Nora is a romantic rival as far as Horo is concerned.

Tails can reveal quite a lot about the tailbearer. Maybe the owner of the tail [[StumblingintheNewForm isn't used to having one]], maybe they have no idea what's going on behind their back, or perhaps they simply have no control over such an emotive appendage. It wags when happy, tucks between the legs when scared, stands up straight when angry ... tails just seem to have minds of their own.

* ''Literature/{{The Rising of the Shield Hero}}'': When Naofumi notices Raftalia watching other children playing with a ball, he asks if she wants one. Despite Raphtalia emphatically denying her want for one, her tail indicates quite the opposite.

Tails can reveal quite a lot about the tailbearer. Maybe the owner of the tail [[StumblingintheNewForm isn't used to having one]], maybe they have no idea what's going on behind their back, or perhaps they simply have no control over such an emotive appendage. It wags when happy, tucks between the legs when scared, stands up straight when angry ... tails just seem to have a mind of their own.

Compare to the similar cousin tropes [[ExpressiveEars expressive ears]] or [[ExpressiveHair expressive hair]]. Often overlaps with TheTell.

Not to be confused with [[TippedOffByTheTail tipped off by the tail]] where a tail merely exposes a disguise rather than expresses a character's feelings.

* ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'': When Kagome and Shippo are captured by Koga and his wolf clan, [[ShapeShifter Shippo disguises himself]] as Koga, and attempts to escape while telling them he'll escort their prisoner. As they walk towards the cave's exit, a wolf notices that "Koga's" tail looks different and bites it, causing Shippo to yell out in pain and change back.

Tails can reveal quite a lot about the tailbearer. Maybe the owner of the tail [[StumblingintheNewForm isn't used to having one]], maybe they have no idea what's going on behind their back, or perhaps they simply have no control over such an emotive appendage. It wags when happy, tucks between the legs when scared, tails just seem to have a mind of their own.

Compare to the similar cousin tropes [[ExpressiveEars expressive ears]] or [[ExpressiveHair expressive hair]].

* "Anime/TokyoMewMew": The Mew Mews have to fight giant insects in one story, and Mew Zakuro's tail fur gets puffed up when she's around them, indicating that she's afraid of them and insects in general.

* ''Series/FraggleRock'': During the Trash Heap's upbeat song, "Go with the Flow", Boober groans, "I hate this." Red can tell this is a lie, because Boober's tail is wagging.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'': Whenever Keaton the wolfskin man acts like a {{Tsundere}}, he often claims he doesn't care about something, only for his wagging tail to give it away. In his introduction alone, he claims not to like being recruited in Corrin's team, but then his tail starts wagging, much to his embarrassment.

* ''Webcomic/{{Awoo}}'': In one strip, Kevin gives [[ImpliedLoveInterest Pink Wolf]] a gift. Being tough, Pink Wolf wants to pretend to hate it, but is caught because [[AmbiguousGender their]] tail is wagging.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'': While the anthropomorphic dog characters throughout the show have moments where their tails wag subconsciously, indicating joy, it is particular prominent as part of an Aesop in "[[Recap/BlueyDuckCake Duck Cake]]". Bingo picks a duck-shaped cake for her birthday because the picture "made my tail wag", and asks her mother how animals without tails know when they're happy. Later in the episode, Bluey's tail starts wagging after her father praises her for doing something helpful without [[WhatsInItForMe being asked or bribed as she had before]]. Bluey is at first surprised by this, but quickly realizes helping her loved ones for the sake of it makes her happy. This makes her keep doing it, showing her [[CharacterDevelopment character development]].

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->'''Calvin:''' Look, stop being such a baby and help me push the car into the driveway. We'll move it 10 feet. What could possibly go wrong?!
->'''Hobbes:''' Whenever you ask that, my tail gets all bushy.
-->-- ''ComicStrip/{{Calvin and Hobbes}}''

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'': Wolf inadvertently ends up helping an old lady he was trying to rob who in turn praises him for being "such a good boy". Having been called good for the first time in his life, Wolf's tail wags eagerly, even as he frantically tries getting it to stop. The rest of the "bad guys" also experience wagging later on, although Snake is the only one with a wagging tail (Shark and Piranha wag their fins and Tarantula wags her abdomen).

[[quoteright:672:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/poker_tail2_7.png]]

->'''Calvin:''' "Look, stop being such a baby and help me push the car into the driveway. We'll move it 10 feet. What could possibly go wrong?!"
->'''Hobbes:''' "Whenever you ask that, my tail gets all bushy."

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'': While the anthropomorphic dog characters throughout the show have moments where their tails wag subconsciously, indicating joy, it is particular prominent as part of an Aesop in "[[Recap/BlueyDuckCake Duck Cake]]". Bingo picks a duck-shaped cake for her birthday because the picture "made my tail wag", and asks her mother how animals without tails know when they're happy. Later in the episode, Bluey's tail starts wagging after her father praises her for doing something helpful without [[WhatsInItForMe being asked or bribed as she had before]]. Bluey is at first surprised by this, but quickly realizes helping her loved ones for the sake of it makes her happy. This makes her keep doing it, showing her [[CharacterDevelopment character development]].

[[folder:Comic Strip]]
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': Hobbes' tail gets pretty emotionally expressive at times, such as when he and Calvin are [[https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2024/01/03 playing poker]]. Calvin sees Hobbes' tail flick excitedly hinting that he got a really good hand. After Calvin promptly folds, Hobbes asks if he's cheating, indicating that he has no idea what's going on behind his back.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid'': In "Double Down", Greg has a dream where he's grown a lizard-like tail. Though initially he finds the tail useful, he doesn't like how it wags whenever he's excited since everyone can tell. An illustration demonstrates this when his mom asks if he likes a cute girl, and despite saying no, Greg can't keep his tail from wagging.
[[/folder]]

->Calvin: "Look, stop being such a baby and help me push the car into the driveway. We'll move it 10 feet. What could possibly go wrong?!"
->Hobbes: "Whenever you ask that, my tail gets all bushy."

Bcaues of this, the individual probably won't be that great at gambling. It may be even more problematic if they need to lie or bluff their way out of a situation. And it might get especially awkward if they're trying to play it cool around someone they can't stand or have a secret crush on. Whatever the case, the tail has little sense of restraint or shame, often to the dismay and embarrassment of the one who has it. After all, [[NobodyLikesATattletale nobody likes a tattletale]].

Compare to the similar cousin tropes [[ExpressiveEars expressive ears]] or [[ExpressiveHair expressive hair]]

->Hobbes: "Whenever you ask that, my tail gets all bushy."''