In a message dated 4/24/2001 11:31:59 AM Central Daylight Time, webachel@wolf.co.net writes: > That's an interesting expression ... "Shirt-tail" cousin. Can someone > elaborate on that more to explain how it came about? I've always heard the > use of it in conversation with the older folks that have past on but never > really understood the meaning. Is it really a cousin or someone who just > claims to be a cousin due to the familiarity with the family? I hope I > asked that correctly! > > Shelia > We used "button-hole kin-folk". But I think they mean the same thing. Someone who is related to someone else who is related to you but not really related to you. WHEW.... now that is a mouth full. For example.. I grew up with the two folks - a brother and a sister. Their mother was a cousin to my mother's brother's wife. So they were not really related but they were very much an accepted part of the family. Take care - Emma