Tarred and Feathered and Run Out of Town on a Rail

In Appalachian & Southern speech, tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail means severely punished, shamed, or driven away by community anger. Today it is almost always used figuratively, as an exaggerated way of saying someone was run off, criticized heavily, or unwelcome in a place.

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Hillbilly Dude Says...

My Momma used to say, 'why you'll get tarred and feathered and run outta town on a rail for sayin' that!' She meant it figuratively. But the practice was still alive and well not that long ago!

Hillbilly Dude Says...

My Momma used to say, 'why you'll get tarred and feathered and run outta town on a rail for sayin' that!' She meant it figuratively. But the practice was still alive and well not that long ago!

Pronunciation

[TARd ’n FEHth-erd ’n
run OWT uh town on uh RAIL]
/tɑrd ən ˈfɛð.ərd ən rʌn aʊt ə taʊn ɑn ə reɪl/

Meaning & Usage

- Driven away or harshly rejected (figurative saying)

Mae:

He suggested closin’ the park?

Earl:

Yep. They about tarred and feathered and run him outta town on a rail for it.

- Strong communal disapproval or backlash (figurative)

Mae:

How’d the vote go?

Earl:

Let’s just say the committee got tarred and feathered in all but name.

variations: tarred, feathered, and run out on a rail

★ This phrase shows up most often in Southern and Appalachian storytelling because of its dramatic rhythm - a long, rolling line that piles on the trouble for comic effect. ★

Origin and Etymology

The punishment of "tarring and feathering" began in medieval Europe and later appeared in Colonial America, particularly during the Revolutionary period. The extended expression - "tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail" - developed as frontier imagery and was preserved most strongly in Southern, Appalachian, and rural Midwestern narration. No documented citations show it originating in the South, but the fully extended form survives there far more commonly than in other regions today.

Usage Notes

Modern speakers nearly always use the phrase figuratively, not literally. The short form ("tarred and feathered") is widely recognized in American English, but the extended form with "run out of town on a rail" is far more common in the South, Appalachia, and rural communities, where it functions as humorous exaggeration.

The extended form is rarely heard in urban or Northern speech today.
"Rode out on a rail" is an older variant sometimes preserved in oral tradition.
Used to describe backlash, unwelcome guests, or strong community disapproval.
Often appears in storytelling, church banter, or small-town politics.

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Is this a literal punishment people still use?

No. Modern uses are figurative, humorous, or hyperbolic.

Is the extended version Southern?

The extended form is strongly associated with Southern and Appalachian storytelling, even though the punishment itself did not originate there.

Do Northerners say this?

Most know the short form, but the extended phrase is rarely used outside the South, Appalachia, and rural regions.

Why "on a rail"?

Historically it meant being paraded out of town on a wooden beam. Today it simply adds dramatic flair to the saying.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 24). Tarred and Feathered and Run Out of Town on a Rail. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/tarred-and-feathered-and-run-out-of-town-on-a-rail
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Tarred and Feathered and Run Out of Town on a Rail." HillbillySlang.com, 24 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/tarred-and-feathered-and-run-out-of-town-on-a-rail.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Tarred and Feathered and Run Out of Town on a Rail." HillbillySlang.com. November 24, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/tarred-and-feathered-and-run-out-of-town-on-a-rail.