Salt on His Tail (Lay)

Catch or apprehend him. The phrase is based on the direction given to small children to lay salt on a bird’s tail if they want to catch it.

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“His intelligence is so good, that were you to come near him with soldiers or constables, … I shall answer for it you will never lay salt on his tail.”—Sir W. Scott: Redgauntlet, chap. xi.