Heads or Tails?

You have me curious.

Offhand, I'd say alliteration, ease of speech...

'Head or tail' I suppose is technically correct, given the singularity of each side of a coin, but 'heads or tails' is common parlance. It's idiomatic, like much of the English language.

Perhaps originally three coins were flipped together so the gods would speak more clearly?

It is a puzzle shared by many.



Why has it used the plural form? It is like asking why Mr.Micawber used the pural form of verb "have" as he said "Anyone have any idea why we say 'heads or tails?' "

One of the possibilities is that it sounds better than the singular form does. If you put your fate in God's hands, you would be more romantic than being scientific. Fable usually inspires poetic licences.

Just my two cents.

Or the original coin had several heads and several tails?

Or each party to the wager/gamble had a coin and the results only counted when both coins came up heads--or both coins came up tails?

And a nice 2 cents Ori

Technically coins don't even have tails at all.

No, they have obverses and reverses.

...And my sentence is an elliptical 'Does anyone have any idea why we say 'heads or tails?', Oristar.

... and--- what in HECK is that thing, Gus, and what message does it carry? I can make neither head nor tail of it; I'm a new boy 'round here.

maybe from the 'best of 3' versions of flipping a coin?

Okay, MM.

Someone guessed that the origin of "heads or tails" might be an old game, in which two or more coins were used in a toss .

Heads or Tails?
There was an Indian head on one side and a buffalo on the other side: thus, heads (Indian head) and tails (Buffalo's tail end). Or.......a quarter has Washington's head on one side and an eagle with tail feathers on the other.