History Main / TippedOffByTheTail

* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Smurfs|1981}}'': [[InvertedTrope Inverted example]]. Hogatha disguises herself as a Smurf in "The Fake Smurf" but lacks their distinct little tail, so she has to use a fake one. It eventually falls off while in the Smurfs' village, which exposes the fact that one Smurf is an imposter once the fake tail is discovered. Immediately afterward, when the Smurfs are checking each other's tails, Hefty demands to see Hogatha's. She flees, trying to hide among other Smurfs, but Hefty immediately notices the lack of a tail.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Smurfs|1981}}'': [[InvertedTrope Inverted example]]. Hogatha disguises herself as a Smurf in "The Fake Smurf" but lacks their distinct little tail, so she has to use a fake one. It eventually falls off while in the Smurfs' village, which exposes the fact that one Smurf is an imposter once the fake tail is discovered.

Not to be confused with IncrediblyObviousTail.

* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': WesternAnimation/BugsBunny's disguises were often compromised by his fluffy tail poking out.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Smurfs|1981}}'', [[InvertedTrope Inverted example]]. Hogatha disguises herself as a Smurf in "The Fake Smurf" but lacks their distinct little tail, so she has to use a fake one. It eventually falls off while in the Smurfs' village, which exposes the fact that one Smurf is an imposter once the fake tail is discovered.

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'', [[InvertedTrope Inverted example]]. Hogatha disguises herself as a Smurf in "The Fake Smurf" but lacks their distinct little tail, so she has to use a fake one. It eventually falls off while in the Smurfs' village, which exposes the fact that one Smurf is an imposter once the fake tail is discovered.

* ''Film/TheWindInTheWillows'' (1996): Mr Toad’s friends Badger and Rat try to sneak into his mansion (which had been taken over by the weasels) to help him by disguising themselves as weasel guards. Although one weasel is initially fooled, Mr Rat’s very non-weasel-like tail gives them away.

Is that a hot babe walking down the street? Damn, is she fine! That sexy lipstick, those voluptuous curves, that tail over her smokin'-- wait a minute...

Sometimes the mere reveal of the tail exposes an animal/monster/alien in a [[HumanDisguise human disguise]], or draws attention to a change the owner was [[ObliviousTransformation blissfully unaware of]].

* Creator/ArtSpiegelman's ''ComicBook/{{Maus}}'' illustrates his parents' experience in Holocaust by depicting Jews as mice and Germans as cats. His father Vladek testifies that he and his wife Anja tried to pass themselves off as Poles, but Art's mother was more identifiable as Jewish by her appearance. The comic depicts this as the couple wearing pig masks, but Anja's mouse tail sticks out from beneath her cloak.

* ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'': Inverted in ''Mossflower''. Mask, an otter who is a MasterOfDisguise is caught when it turns out he doesn’t have a tail. The jealous weasel captain Cludd stomps on the tail of Mask’s fox disguise, but it comes off, revealing he isn’t a fox.

-->''Dave: [pointing at Kozak's tail]: "If that isn't proof of animal experimentation, I don't know what is!'''"

Is that a hot babe walking down the street? Damn, is she fine! That sexy lipstick, those voluptuous curves, that tail over her smokin'--wait a minute...

'''Kootie Pie (as Lady Fettuccini Alfredo):''' A ''tail''? Me?! Why, have never been so insulted in all my life! Here I am, locked in these dungeons for days without a thing to eat, and now you're accusing me of having a ''tail''?!

Not to be confused with [[IncrediblyObviousTail Incredibly Obvious Tail]].

!!Examples

* Creator/ArtSpiegelman’s ''{{ComicBook/Maus}}'' illustrates his parent’s’ experience in Holocaust by depicting Jews as mice and Germans as cats. His father Vladek testifies that he and his wife Anja tried to pass themselves off as Poles, but Art’s mother was more identifiable as Jewish by her appearance. The comic depicts this as the couple wearing pig masks, but Anja’s mouse tail sticks out from beneath her cloak.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Scooby Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf}}'': After Shaggy transforms into a werewolf, he and Scooby Doo try to sneak away from a monster-hunting mob by [[PaperThinDisguise hiding Shaggy's face with a popcorn box]]. Unfortunately, Shaggy's tail blows his cover.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

[[folder:Mythology]]

* ''Anime/PokemonZoroarkMasterOfIllusions'': Zorua has the power to disguise himself using illusions, but it's not perfect since he's only a baby. When he is talking to Ash and his friends while turned into a copy of Brock, a reporter named Karl overhears their conversation. To keep Zorua hidden, Brock tries to pretend that Zorua is his twin brother, but Karl notices Zorua's tail.

* ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'': Subverted. When Barf (a half-man, half-dog alien) and Lone Starr are disguised as prison guards, Barf's huge tail sticks out of the back of his uniform. Another guard catches sight of Barf's tail as he disappears round a corner, but in a comedic twist [[FailedASpotCheck just shrugs it off]] muttering "Nah".

* ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'': In "The Looney Beginning", Buster and Babs try to get the stolen scripts back from Montana Max by disguising themselves as Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam. Of course, in the spirit of Bugs Bunny, their tails give them away.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'', [[InvertedTrope Inverted example]]. Hogatha disguises herself as a Smurf in "The Fake Smurf" but lacks their distinct little tail, so she has to use a fake one. It eventually falls off while in the Smurfs' village, which exposes the fact that one Smurf is an imposter once the fake tail is discovered.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'', [[InvertedTrope Inverted example]]. Hogatha disguises as a Smurf in "The Fake Smurf" but lacks their distinct little tail, so she has to use a fake one. It eventually falls off while in the Smurfs' village, which exposes the fact that one Smurf is an imposter once the fake tail is discovered.
[[/folder]]

Possibly one of the earliest examples of this trope, in Japanese mythology, kitsunes can disguise themselves as humans, but sometimes their disguises will be discovered by a tail poking through their kimono.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'', Reversed. Hogatha disguises as a Smurf in "The Fake Smurf" but lacks their distinct little tail, so she has to use a fake one. It eventually falls off while in the Smurfs' village, which exposes the fact that one Smurf is an imposter once the fake tail is discovered.

[[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bug_bunny.png]]