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-acentury, 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, talkative.

to TONGUE a person," i.e., to talk him down. TONGUED,

Tony Lumpkin, a young, clownish country fellow. From She Stoops to Conquer.

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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," ie., 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 Cam-
bridge "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.

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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, 66 Only a half-crown TOUCH."

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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."

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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%. or 50%, 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.

These

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. 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.

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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."