Part 36

~Tipper~, a kind of ale brewed at Brighton. Mrs. Gamp preferred the “Brighton TIPPER.”

~Tipster~, a “turf” agent who collects early and generally special information of the condition and racing capabilities of horses in the training districts, and posts the same to his subscribers to guide their betting.

“The racing TIPSTERS have much less patronage than formerly, before “Geoffry Greenhorn” laid a trap for them, and published the tips he received in _The Life_. Professor Ingledue, M.A., the mesmerist, is silent; and if their subscribers, ‘for whose interests I have collected my old and able staff, with many additional ones, who are already at work in the training districts,’ could only get a sight of the ‘old and able staff,’ they would find it consisting of a man and a boy, at work in the back room of a London public-house, and sending different winners for every race to their subscribers.”—_Post and Paddock_, by the “Druid.”

There are, however, whatever non-racing men may think, many “touts” whose information is valuable to even the “best informed” writers.

~Tit~, a favourite name for a horse.

“They scorned the coach, they scorned the rails, Two spanking tits with streaming tails, Them swiftly onward drew.”—_End of All Things._

~Tit for tat~, an equivalent.

~Titivate~, to put in order, or dress up. Originally TIDY-VATE.

~Titley~, drink, generally applied to intoxicating beverages.

~Titter~, a girl; “nark the TITTER,” _i.e._, look at the girl.—_Tramp’s term._

~Tizzy~, a sixpence. Corruption of TESTER.

~Toad-in-the-hole~, a kind of pudding, consisting of small pieces of meat immersed in batter, and baked. Also, a term applied to perambulating advertising mediums. _See_ SANDWICH.

~Toasting-fork~, a regulation sword, indicative of the general uselessness of that weapon.

~Toby~, the road. The highwayman or swell robber was in old days said to be on the high TOBY, from the high or main road, while those meaner fellows, the footpad and the cutpurse, were but “low TOBY-MEN,” from their frequenting the by-ways.

~To-do~ (pronounced quickly, and as one word), a disturbance, trouble; “here’s a pretty TO-DO,” here is an unpleasant difficulty. This exactly tallies with the _French_, AFFAIRE (_à faire_).—_See Forby’s Vocabulary of East Anglia_.

~To the nines~, to the dodges of the day. “He’s up to the NINES,” means he’s up to everything. “Dressed to the NINES,” means dressed loudly, or, as it is more generally known now, “dressed to death.”

~Toddle~, to walk as a child.

~Toe~, to kick. “I’ll TOE your backside.” Common in London.

~Toff~, a dandy, a swell of rank. Corruption probably of TUFT. _See_ TOFT.

~Toffer~, a well-dressed “gay” woman. One who deals with TOFFS.

~Tofficky~, dressy, showy.

~Toft~, a showy individual, a swell, a person who, in a Yorkshireman’s vocabulary, would be termed “uppish.” _See_ TUFT.

~Tog~, a coat. _Latin_, TOGA.—_Ancient Cant._

~Tog~, to dress, or equip with an outfit; “TOGGED out to the nines,” dressed in the first style.

~Toggery~, clothes, harness, domestic paraphernalia of any kind.

~Togs~, clothes; “Sunday TOGS,” best clothes. One of the oldest cant words—in use in the time of Henry VIII. _See_ CANT.

~Toke~, dry bread. Sometimes used to denote a lump of anything.

~Toko for yam~, a Roland for an Oliver. Possibly from a system of barter carried on between sailors and aborigines.

~Tol-lol~, or TOL-LOLLISH, tolerable, or tolerably.

~Toll-shop~, a Yorkshire correspondent gives this word as denoting in that county a prison, and also the following verse of a song, popular at fairs in the East Riding:—

“But if ivver he get out agean, And can but raise a frind, Oh! the divel may tak’ TOLL-SHOP, At Beverley town-end!”

This is but a variation of the Scottish TOLBOOTH.

~Tom~, _e.g._, “after TOM,” after the hour at which Big TOM of Christchurch rings. At its last stroke the gates are closed, and undergrads entering after have to pay an increasing sum for each hour up to twelve. To be out after that involves an interview with the Master.—_Oxford University._

~Tom and Jerry shop~, a low drinking shop. Probably some allusion to Pierce Egan’s famous characters in his _Life in London_. Generally contracted to JERRY SHOP.

~Tom Toppers~, a waterman, from a popular song, entitled, _Overboard he vent_.

~Tom Tug~, a waterman. From the small stage-play. Also rhyming slang for a flat, or rather a “mug.”

~Tomboy~, a hoyden, a rude romping girl.

~Tombstone~, a pawn-ticket—“In memory of” whatever has been pawned,—a well-known slang expression with those Londoners who are in the habit of following “my uncle.”

~Tomfoolery~, nonsense; trashy, mild, and innocuous literature.

~Tom-fool’s colours~, scarlet and yellow, the ancient motley. Occasionally, as a rhyme of quality suitable to the subject,

“Red and yellow, TOM FOOL’S colour.”

A proposition is said to be TOM FOOL when it is too ridiculous to be entertained or discussed.

~Tom-tom~, a street instrument, a kind of small drum beaten with the fingers, somewhat like the ancient tabor; a performer on this instrument. “Hark! ’tis the Indian drum.”

~Tommy~, _See_ DICKEY.

~Tommy~, bread,—food generally. Sometimes applied by workmen to the supply of food which they carry in a bag or handkerchief as their daily allowance. TOMMY-BAG is the term for the bag or handkerchief in which the “daily bread” is carried.

~Tommy~, truck, barter, the exchange of labour for goods, not money. Both term and practice, general among English operatives for half-a-century, are by a current fiction supposed to have been abolished by Act of Parliament.

~Tommy Dodd~, in tossing when the odd man either wins or loses, as per agreement. A phrase in frequent use in London. A music-hall song has been given with this title and on this subject.

~Tommy-master~, one who pays his workmen in goods, or gives them tickets upon tradesmen, with whom he shares the profit.

~Tommy-shop~, a shop where wages are paid to mechanics or others, who are expected to “take out” a portion of the money in goods. Also, a baker’s shop.

~Tongue~, “to TONGUE a person,” _i.e._, to talk him down. TONGUED, talkative.

~Tony Lumpkin~, a young, clownish country fellow. From _She Stoops to Conquer_.

~Tool~, as “a poor TOOL,” a bad hand at anything.

~Tool~, to drive a coach, or any other vehicle. To “handle the ribbons” in fine style.

~Tool~, a very little boy employed by burglars to enter at small apertures, and open doors for the larger thieves outside.

~Tooler~, a pickpocket. MOLL-TOOLER, a female pickpocket.

~Tooley Street tailor~, a self-conceited, vainglorious man. The “three tailors of Tooley Street” are said to have immortalized themselves by preparing a petition for Parliament—and some say, presenting it—with only their own signatures thereto, which commenced, “We, the people of England.”

~Tooth~, “he has cut his eye TOOTH,” _i.e._, he is sharp enough, or old enough, to do so; “old in the TOOTH,” far advanced in age,—said often of old maids. From the stable term for aged horses which have lost the distinguishing marks in their teeth.

~Tootsies~, feet, those of ladies and children in particular. In married life it is said the husband uses this expression for the first six months; after that he terms them “hoofs.”

~Top~, the signal among tailors and sempstresses for snuffing the candle; one cries TOP, and all the others follow; he who last pronounces the word has to snuff the candle.

~Top-dressing~, in journalism, is the large-type introduction to a report, generally written by a man of higher literary attainments than the ordinary reporter who follows with the details.

~Top-heavy~, drunk.

~Top-sawyer~, the principal of a party, or profession. “A TOP-SAWYER signifies a man that is a master-genius in any profession. It is a piece of Norfolk slang, and took its rise from Norfolk being a great timber county, where the TOP SAWYERS get double the wages of those beneath them.”—_Randall’s Diary_, 1820.

~Top up~, a finishing drink. “He drank two bottles of claret and one of port, which he TOPPED UP with half a bottle of brandy.”

~Topped~, hanged, or executed.

~Topper~, anything or person above the ordinary; a blow on the head. “Give him a TOPPER and chance it,” “Let him have a TOPPER for luck.”

~Topper~, the tobacco which is left in the bottom of a pipe-bowl—_lucus a non lucendo_; or the stump of a smoked cigar. TOPPER-HUNTERS are men who pick up cigar ends and odd pieces of stale tobacco, which they mix and chop up for home consumption or sale.

~Topsy-turvy~, the bottom upwards. Grose gives an ingenious etymology of this once cant term, viz., “top-side turf-ways,”—turf being always laid the wrong side upwards. This is so far ingenious that it creates a fact for the purpose of arguing from it. Turfs are laid with the grass part together during carriage; so, anyhow, the definition could be only half right. In fact, TOPSY-TURVY is but short for “top-side t’other way.”

~To-rights~, excellent, very well, or good.—_Low London slang._

~Tormentors~, the large iron flesh-forks used by cooks at sea.

~Torpids~, the second-class race-boats at Oxford, answering to the Cambridge “sloggers.”

~Toshers~, men who steal copper from ships’ bottoms in the Thames.

~Toss~, a measure of sprats.—_Billingsgate._

~Tot~, a small glass; a “TOT o’ whisky” is the smallest quantity sold.

~Tot-up~, to add together,—as columns of figures, £ _s._ _d._ From TOTAL-UP, through the vulgarism TOTTLE.

~Totting~, bone-picking, either peripatetically or at the dust-heaps. “TOT” is a bone, but chiffoniers and cinder-hunters generally are called TOT-PICKERS nowadays. TOTTING also has its votaries on the banks of the Thames, where all kinds of flotsam and jetsam, from coals to carrion, are known as TOTS.

~Touch~, a slang expression in common use in phrases which express the extent to which a person is interested or affected, “as a fourpenny TOUCH,” _i.e._, a thing costing fourpence. _See_ an example in Mr., afterwards Sir Erasmus, Philipps’s Diary, at Oxford, in 1720. “_Sept. 22._—At night went to the ball at the Angel, a guinea TOUCH.” It is also used at Eton in the sense of a “tip,” or present of money; and is sometimes said of a woman to imply her worthlessness, as, “Only a half-crown TOUCH.”

~Touch-and-go~, an expression often applied to men with whom business arrangements should be of the lightest possible character. Thus, “He’s a TOUCH-AND-GO sort of fellow. Be careful of him.”

~Toucher~, “as near as a TOUCHER,” as near as possible without actually touching.—_Coaching term._ The old Jarveys, to show their skill, used to drive against things so closely as absolutely to touch, yet without injury. This they called a TOUCHER, or TOUCH-AND-GO, which was hence applied to anything which was within an ace of ruin.

~Touchy~, peevish, irritable. Johnson terms it a low word.

~Tout.~ In sporting phraseology a TOUT signifies an agent in the training districts, on the look-out for information as to the condition and capabilities of those horses entering for a coming race. TOUTS often get into trouble through entering private training-grounds. They, however, are very highly paid, some making 40_l._ or 50_l._ a week during the season. Now frequently called horse-watchers.

~Tout~, to look out, or watch.

~Touter~, a looker out, one who waits at railway stations and steamboat piers, and touts for customers; a hotel runner. Term in general use.

~Touzle~, to romp with or rumple.—_Scotch._

~Towel~, to beat or whip. In old English phraseology a cudgel was termed an oaken TOWEL—whence, perhaps, the verb.

~Towelling~, a rubbing down with an oaken TOWEL, a beating.

~Town and Gown.~ The fight which used to come off every 5th of November between the undergrads and the “cads.” The sides used to shout respectively “TOWN!” and “GOWN!” as war-cries.—_Oxford University._

~Town-lout~, a derogatory title at Rugby School for those pupils who reside with their parents in the town, in contradistinction from those who live in the boarding-houses.

~Tow-pows~, grenadiers. From the bearskins, most likely, unless it was originally TALL-POWS, the grenadiers being the tallest men in the company.

~Towzery gang~, swindlers who hire sale-rooms, usually in the suburbs, for mock auction sales of cheap and worthless goods, and who advertise their ventures as “Alarming Sacrifices,” “Important Sales of Bankrupts’ Stock,” &c. The American name for a mock auctioneer is a “Peter Funk.”

~Tracks~, “to make TRACKS,” to run away. _See_ STREAK.

~Tradesman~, one who thoroughly understands his business, whatever it may be. No better compliment can be passed on an individual, whether his profession be housebreaking, prizefighting, or that of a handicraftsman, than the significant “He’s a regular TRADESMAN.”

~Translator~, a man who deals in old shoes or clothes, and refits them for cheap wear. These people generally live in or about Dudley Street, Seven Dials.

~Translators~, second-hand boots mended and polished, and sold at a low price.

~Trap~, a “fast” term for a carriage of any kind. TRAPS, goods and chattels of any kind, but especially luggage and personal effects; in Australia, “swag.”

~Trapesing~, gadding or gossiping about in a slatternly way. Generally applied to girls and women in low neighbourhoods, who wander from public-house to public-house, and whose clothes are carelessly fastened, causing them to trail on the ground.

~Traveller~, name given by one tramp to another. “A TRAVELLER at her Majesty’s expense,” _i.e._, a transported felon, a convict.

~Tree~, “up a TREE,” in temporary difficulties,—out of the way. American expression, derived from racoon or bear-hunting. When Bruin is TREED, or is forced up a TREE by the dogs, it means that then the tug of war begins. _See_ ’COON. Hence when an opponent is fairly run to bay, and can by no evasion get off, he is said to be TREED. These expressions originated with Colonel Crockett, of backwoods celebrity. In Scotland the phrase is “up a close,” _i.e._, up a passage with no outlet, a _cul-de-sac_, therefore suggestive of an unpleasant predicament.

~Triangles~, a slang term for _delirium tremens_, during a fit of which everything appears out of the square.

~Trimmings~, the necessary adjuncts to anything cooked, but specially applied to a boiled leg of mutton, as turnips, potatoes, bread, beer, salt, &c. Bets are frequently made for a leg of mutton and TRIMMINGS. Or one person will forfeit the mutton if another will “stand the TRIMMINGS.” It is generally a supper feast, held in a public-house, and the rule is for the landlord to charge as TRIMMINGS everything, except the mutton, placed on the table previous to the removal of the cloth. A boiled leg o’ mutton and TRIMMINGS will be always known as a “swarry” to admirers of Sam Weller.

~Tripes~, the bowels.

“Next morning Miss Dolly complained of her TRIPES, Drinking cold water had given her gripes.”

~Trollies~, or TROLLY-CARTS, term given by costermongers to a species of narrow carts, which can either be drawn by a donkey or driven by hand.

~Trolling~, sauntering or idling, hence TROLL and TROLLOCKS, an idle slut, a “moll,” which _see_.

~Trollop~, a slatternly woman, a prostitute.

~Trot~, to “run up,” to oppose, to bid against at an auction. Private buyers at auctions know from experience how general is the opposition against them from dealers, “knock-outs,” and other habitués of sales, who regard the rooms as their own peculiar domain. “We TROTTED him up nicely, didn’t we?” _i.e._, we made him (the private buyer) pay dearly for what he bought.

~Trot out~, to draw out or exploit, to show off the abilities of a companion; sometimes to roast for the amusement and with the assistance of an assembled company.

~Trotter~, a tailor’s man who goes round for orders.—_University._

~Trotter cases~, shoes.

~Trotters~, feet. Sheep’s TROTTERS, boiled sheep’s feet, a favourite street delicacy.

~Truck~, a hat—from the cap on the extremity of a mast.—_Sea._

~Truck~, to exchange or barter.

~Trucks~, trousers.

~Trull~, corruption of “troll” or “trollop,” a dirty, slatternly woman, a prostitute of the lowest class.

~Trump~, a good fellow; “a regular TRUMP,” a jolly or good-natured person—in allusion to a TRUMP card; “TRUMPS may turn up,” _i.e._, fortune may yet favour me.

~Trunks~, short trousers worn above hose or tights.—_Theatrical._

~Try it on~, to make attempt, generally applied to an effort at imposition. An extortionate charge or a begging-letter is frequently described as “a regular TRY-ON.”

~Tub~, the morning bath. To TUB has now become a regular verb, so far as colloquialism is concerned, though no one uses a TUB as the word was originally understood.

~Tub-thumping~, preaching or speech-making, from the old Puritan fashion of “holding forth” from a tub, or beer barrel, as a mark of their contempt for decorated pulpits.

~Tubs~, nickname for a butterman.

~Tuck~, a schoolboy’s term for fruit, pastry, &c. TUCK IN, or TUCK OUT, a good meal.

~Tuft-hunter~, a hanger on to persons of quality or wealth—one who seeks the society of wealthy people. Originally University slang, but now general.

~Tufts~, at the University, noblemen, who pay high fees and are distinguished by golden TUFTS, or tassels, in their caps.

~Tumble~, to comprehend or understand. A coster was asked what he thought of _Macbeth_, and he replied, “The witches and the fighting was all very well, but the other moves I couldn’t TUMBLE to exactly; few on us can TUMBLE to the jaw-breakers; they licks us, they do.”

~Tumble to pieces~, to be safely delivered, as in childbirth.

~Tune the old cow died of~, an epithet for any ill-played or discordant piece of music. Originally the name of an old ballad, referred to by dramatists of Shakspeare’s time.

~Tuns~, a name at Pembroke College, Oxford, for small silver cups, each containing half a pint. Sometimes a TUN had a handle with a whistle, which could not be blown till the cup was empty.

~Turf~, horse-racing, and betting thereon; “on the TURF,” one who occupies himself with race-horse business; said also of a street-walker, or nymph of the _pavé_.

~Turkey merchants~, dealers in plundered or contraband silk. Poulterers are sometimes termed TURKEY MERCHANTS in remembrance of Horne Tooke’s answer to the boys at Eton, who wished in an aristocratic way to know what _his_ father was: “A TURKEY MERCHANT,” replied Tooke—his father was a poulterer. TURKEY MERCHANT, also, was formerly slang for a driver of turkeys or geese to market.

~Turnip~, an old-fashioned watch, so called from its general appearance, if of silver. Also called “a frying-pan.” Old-fashioned gold watches are called “warming-pans.”

~Turn it up~, to quit, change, abscond, or abandon; “Ned has TURNED IT UP,” _i.e._, run away; “I intend TURNING IT UP,” _i.e._, leaving my present abode or employment, or altering my course of life.

~Turn-out~, personal show or appearance; a man with a showy carriage and horses is said to have a good TURN-OUT.

~Turn-over~, an apprentice who finishes with a second master the indentures he commenced with another, who has died or become bankrupt.

~Turn up~, a street fight; a sudden leaving, or making off. An unexpected slice of luck. Among sporting men bookmakers are said to have a TURN UP when an unbacked horse wins.

~Turn up~, to appear unexpectedly. Also to happen; “Let’s wait, and see what will TURN UP.”

~Turn up~, to make sick. People are said to be TURNED UP by sea-sickness, or when they are made ill by excessive smoking or drinking.

~Turned over~, remanded by the magistrate or judge for want of evidence.

~Turned up~, to be stopped and searched by the police. To be discharged from a police-court or sessions-house; to be acquitted.

~Turnpike sailors~, beggars who go about dressed as sailors. A sarcastic reference to the scene of their chief voyages.

~Tusheroon~, a crown piece, five shillings. Otherwise a bull or cartwheel.

~Tussle~, a row, struggle, fight, or argument.

~Tussle~, to struggle, or argue.

~Twelve godfathers~, a jury, because they give a name to the crime the prisoner before them has been guilty of, whether murder or manslaughter, felony or misdemeanor. Consequently it is a vulgar taunt to say, “You will be christened by TWELVE GODFATHERS some day before long.”

~Twelver~, a shilling.

~Twice-laid~, a dish made out of cold fish and potatoes.—_Sea._ Compare BUBBLE AND SQUEAK, and RESURRECTION PIE.

~Twig~, style. Prime TWIG, in good order and high spirits.

~Twig~, to comprehend, as, “Do you TWIG?” Also, “Hop the TWIG,” to decamp.

~Twist~, brandy and gin mixed.

~Twist~, capacity for eating, appetite; “He’s got a capital TWIST.”

~Twitchety~, nervous, fidgety.

~Twitter~, “all in a TWITTER,” in a fright or fidgety state.

~Two eighteener~, an Americanism for a man or woman of the fastest kind—two minutes eighteen seconds, or close thereabouts, being the fastest time for a mile recorded in connexion with the Transatlantic national sport, trotting. “Two forty on a plank road,” a once favourite expression with a similar meaning, derived from a feat of the famous trotting mare Flora Temple, has died out since trotting has become faster, and courses have been prepared on a different principle.

~Two-eyed-steak~, a red-herring or bloater. Otherwise “Billingsgate pheasant.”

~Two-handed~, expert at fisticuffs. Ambidextrous generally.

~Two-handed game~, a game or proposal in which the chances are fairly even; as, “I’ll punch your head;” “Ah, that’s a TWO-HANDED GAME—you’ll get no good at that.”

~Two to one~, the pawnbroker’s sign of three balls. So called because it is supposed by calculating humourists to be TWO TO ONE against the redemption of a pledged article.

~Two upon ten~, or TWO PUN’ TEN, an expression used by assistants to each other, in shops, when a customer of suspected honesty makes his appearance. The phrase refers to “two eyes upon ten fingers,” shortened as a money term to TWO PUN’ TEN. When a supposed thief is present, one shopman asks the other if that TWO PUN’ (pound) TEN matter was ever settled. The man knows at once what is meant, and keeps a careful watch upon the person being served. If it is not convenient to speak, a piece of paper is handed to the same assistant, bearing the, to him, very significant amount of

_£2: 10: 0_

_Compare_ SHARP, JOHN ORDERLY.

~Twopenny~, the head; “tuck in your TWOPENNY,” bend down your head.

~Twopenny-halfpenny~, paltry, insignificant. A TWOPENNY-HALFPENNY fellow, a not uncommon expression of contempt.

~Twopenny-hops~, low dancing rooms, the price of admission to which was formerly twopence. The clog hornpipe, the pipe dance, flash jigs, and hornpipes in fetters, _à la_ Jack Sheppard, were the favourite movements, all entered into with great spirit.

~Twopenny rope~, a lodging-house of the lowest kind, where tramps and cadgers sleep on sacking stretched by means of ropes. Sleeping at these places is called having “twopenn’orth of rope.”

~Tyburnia~, the Portman and Grosvenor Square district. It is facetiously divided by the Londoners into “Tyburnia Felix,” “Tyburnia Deserta,” and “Tyburnia Snobbica.” The old gallows at Tyburn stood near the N.E. corner of Hyde Park, at the angle formed by the Edgware Road and the top of Oxford Street. In 1778 this was two miles out of London.

~Tyburn tippet~, in the old hanging days, Jack Ketch’s rope.

~Tye~, or TIE, a neckerchief. Proper hosiers’ term now, but slang thirty years ago, and as early as 1718.

~Tyke~, a Yorkshireman. Term used by themselves, as well as by Southerners, in reference to them.

~Typo~, a printer.

~Ugly~, wicked, malicious, resentful.—_American._