TAFFY (corruption of _David_), a Welshman. Compare SAWNEY (from
_Alexander_), a Scotchman.
TAG-RAG-AND-BOBTAIL, a mixed crowd of low people, mobility.
TAIL BUZZER, a thief who picks coat pockets.
TAKE, to succeed, or be patronised; “do you think the new opera will
TAKE?” “No, because the same company TOOK so badly under the old
management;” “to TAKE ON,” to grieve; _Shakespere_ uses the word TAKING
in this sense. To “TAKE UP for any one,” to protect or defend a person;
“to TAKE OFF,” to mimic; “to TAKE heart,” to have courage; “to TAKE
down a peg or two,” to humiliate, or tame; “to TAKE UP,” to reprove;
“to TAKE AFTER,” to resemble; “to TAKE IN,” to cheat or defraud, from
the lodging-house keepers’ advertisements, “single men TAKEN IN AND
DONE FOR,”—an engagement which is as frequently performed in a bad as a
good sense; “to TAKE THE FIELD,” when said of a _General_, to commence
operations against the enemy; when a _racing man_ TAKES THE FIELD he
stakes his money against the favourite.
TAKE BEEF, to run away.
TAKE IN, a cheating or swindling transaction,—sometimes termed “a DEAD
TAKE IN.” _Shakespere_ has TAKE IN in the sense of conquering. TO BE
HAD, or TO BE SPOKE TO, were formerly synonymous phrases with TO BE
TAKEN IN.
TALLY, five dozen bunches of turnips.
TAN, to beat or thrash; I’ll TAN your hide, _i.e._, give you a good
beating.
TANNER, a sixpence. _Gipsey_, TAWNO, little, or _Latin_, TENER, slender?
TANNY, or TEENY, little. _Gipsey_, TAWNO, little.
TANTREMS, pranks, capers, or frolicking; from the _Tarantula_ dance?
See account of the involuntary phrensy and motions caused by the bite
of the tarantula in Italy.—_Penny Cyclopædia._
TAPE, gin,—term with female servants.
TAPER, to gradually give over, to run short.
TAP TUB, the _Morning Advertiser_.
TAT BOX, a dice box.
TATER, “s’elp my TATER,” another street evasion of a profane oath,
sometimes varied by “s’elp my GREENS.”
TATLER, a watch; “nimming a TATLER,” stealing a watch.
TATS, dice.
TATS, old rags; MILKY TATS, white rags.
TATTING, gathering old rags.
TAW, a large or principal marble; “I’ll be one on your TAW,” I will pay
you out, or be even with you,—a simile taken from boys aiming always at
winning the TAW when playing at marbles.
TEAGUELAND, Ireland.
TEETH, “he has cut his _eye_ TEETH,” _i.e._, is old and cute enough.
TEETH-DRAWING, wrenching off knockers.
TEETOTALLER, a total abstainer from alcoholic drinks.
TEETOTALLY, amplification of TOTALLY.
TELL-ON, to tell about.
TENPENCE TO THE SHILLING, a vulgar phrase denoting a deficiency in
intellect.
TESTER, sixpence. From TESTONE, a shilling in the reign of Henry VIII.,
but a sixpence in the time of Q. Elizabeth.—_Shakespere._ _French_,
TESTE, or TETE, the head of the monarch on the coin.
TEVISS, a shilling.
THEATRE, a police court.
THICK, intimate, familiar. _Scotch_, CHIEF; “the two are very CHIEF
now,” _i.e._, friendly.
THICK-UN, a sovereign; a crown piece, or five shillings.
THIMBLE, or YACK, a watch.
THIMBLE-RIG, a noted cheating game played at fairs and places of
great public thronging, consisting of two or three thimbles rapidly
and dexterously placed over a pea, when the THIMBLE-RIGGER, suddenly
ceasing, asks you under which thimble the pea is to be found. If you
are not a practised hand you will lose nine times out of ten any bet
you may happen to make with him. The pea is sometimes concealed under
his nail.
THIMBLE TWISTERS, thieves who rob persons of their watches.
THINSKINNED, over nice, petulant, apt to get a “raw.”