trust someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail

verb

Synonym of trust someone as far as one could throw them.

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trust someone as far as one could throw them
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Meanings

verbtrust someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail (third-person singular simple present trusts someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail, present participle trusting someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail, simple past and past participle trusted someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail)

present singular third person trusts someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail · participle present trusting someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail · participle past trusted someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail · past trusted someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail

  1. Synonym of trust someone as far as one could throw them.

    He won't trust the payer-on-the-nail as far as he could fling a bull by the tail.

    1920, Apple (of Beauty and Discord), volume 1, page 190
    2 more examples

    […] you shall not lose one shilling per annum by me.” “I'll trust you as far as I can fling a bull by the tail. […]

    1856, Charles Reade, It is never too late to mend

    “I believe Horsfield's in favour of the scheme. How far would you trust that man?” Vane inquired. “About as far as I could fling a bull by the tail. […]

    1911, Harold Bindloss, The Protector

    Synonyms: trust someone as far as one could throw them

Synonyms & antonyms

verbSynonym of trust someone as far as one could throw them.

Similar
trust someone as far as one could throw them
Also see
trust someone as far as one could throw them
Cite this entry
APA

trust someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trust%20someone%20as%20far%20as%20one%20could%20fling%20a%20bull%20by%20the%20tail

MLA

“trust someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trust%20someone%20as%20far%20as%20one%20could%20fling%20a%20bull%20by%20the%20tail. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trust someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trust%20someone%20as%20far%20as%20one%20could%20fling%20a%20bull%20by%20the%20tail.

Source: trust someone as far as one could fling a bull by the tail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.