Rarely cart-tail. The hinder part of a cart, to which offenders were tied to be whipped through the streets. Hence Cart’s-tailing vbl. sb., Cart’s-tailable a. nonce-wds.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 1868/1. They … should be tyed to a Carts tayle, and be whipped three market dayes through the City.
1642. in Rushw., Hist. Coll., III. (1721), IV. 559 b. He shall be whipped from thence at a Cart’s-Tayl.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v. Cart, Bawds and other malefactors are whipped at the Cart’s tail.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., i. (L.). The rough remedy of the cart-tail.
1808. Southey, Lett., 22 Nov. Your phrase of ‘eking out’ is cart’s-tailable without benefit of clergy. Ibid. I am not quite sure which deserves the severest cart’s-tailing.
