bell-tail n chiefly sAppalachians, GA, nFL
A rattlesnake n 1.
1882 Telegraph & Messenger (Macon GA) 4 Oct [3]/3 ceGA, Recovering from his fright at being so near old “bell-tail,” the Doctor gave his snakeship a barrel which put him beyond harming anything. 1916 Amer. Museum Jrl. 16.129, [Caption:] Hunting “bell-tails” (diamond-back rattlers) among the saw palmettos, St. Johns River, Florida. 1917 DN 4.408 wNC, Bell-tail. . . Rattlesnake. 1938 Gastonia Daily Gaz. (NC) 22 Oct 12/1 wNC, We used to meet in our cabin yards in the evening shadow of the mountains and tell one another how many bell-tails we had killed that day. 1980 Foxfire 14.313 nGA, I’ve run across these old bell-tails or what’s a rattlesnake. I’ve come pretty close to getting bit, but I’ve been pretty lucky. 2013 in 2016 DARE File—Internet nwFL, He bent over to pick up a lock that had fell from his shooting house, when he reached down a belltail hit him. 2014 Miller Co. Liberal (Colquitt GA) 19 Nov (Internet), [Caption:] This large bell tail was killed a few days ago by Bruce Henry. 2015 in 2016 DARE File—Internet swKY, Yall be careful out there traipsing around them woods and deer plots. Old brother bell tail likes to move around a lot this time of year.