Cryptic clue (with reward)

Googled it and it didn't come up with anything where were you looking?

 

Tail off = the definition

Cut tail off = remove the last of the sentence, "professor get wife"

Tail off, synonym for *Down*

Snake, synonym coil>*wind*

*winddown*

 

Tail off = the definition

Cut tail off = remove the last of the sentence, "professor get wife"

Tail off, synonym for *Down*

Snake, synonym coil>*wind*

Wind down



 

Lets all just hope the wife didn't cut anything off his trouser snake.

 

@scw

A cryptic clue's answer has the definition in the clue. Finding the definition is one of the first steps to solving it.

For the op's clue, "To tail off" is what i believe to be the definition of the answer, "Winddown".

Its part of the explanation to support the answer i gave.