A Figure Of Speech. He/she Will Have To Hang By Their Own Tail.

[sandyRoe]

I heard this used the other day, I think for the first time, and it clearly means they'll have to look after themselves.
Is it a common phrase?

[mallyh]

not one I throw into conversations ,but have heard of it .x

[Jackdaw33]

Never come across it.

[dannyk13]

Never heard of it.

[Old_Geezer]

Me neither.

[Bazile]

Never heard of it .

Nothing coming up on a google search

[sandyRoe]

I suppose there's a bit of a sub-text, whoever is being discussed is a bit of a wee monkey, or a chancer, and as they've got themselves into a pickle they need to get themselves out of it.

[Mamyalynne]

It's a corruption of - Every Herring must habg by it's own gills (the way they are caught)

Then when they are hung to smoke...hung by their tails or....

In the cottages, dried herrings are suspended by a rod passed through their tails.) "Every herring
must hang by its own gill." — Eng. " Let ilka herrin hing by its ain head." — Scot.

http://tinyurl.com/hz2gwux

[Mamyalynne]

^ oops - hang

[sandyRoe]

i use the word, pickle, and herrings pop up in the next post. Synchronicity, or what?
:-)