hair particles stretching when combed

There. The title says it all. Not certain why but just recently when working on hair meshes, the hair particles have gotten all stretchy, like I can comb them out and the particle will keep following to Kansas.

Also when I hit puff tool, the hair does become more orderly and behaved but as it does, it keeps get longer and longer simulaneously.

I’m making it work but I hate this new quirk.

It’s happened to the last two blends I was working on. I appended hair meshes from other blends and this happens. Even if I create a new mesh, the particles behave just as unruly.

Thoughts and recommendations, fire away…

While in particle edit there is a section in the tool shelf that is labeled Keep:
Make sure lengths and root is checked.

beetdabrat - thanks much. Will look it over