1811. Lex. Bal., s.v. Keep. . . . Mother, your tit won't keep; your daughter will not preserve her virginity.
3. (colloquial).—A small portion; a morsel: whence tit-bit = a choice piece; 'a fine snack' (B. E. and Grose); anything specially selected.
1730. Swift, Directions to Servants, s.v.
1841. Punchy i. 6. The sneaking Whigs were helping themselves to all the fat tit-bits.
4. See Titmouse.
5. (Durham: local).—A student of Durham University: in contempt. Also 'varsity tit.
Tit for tat, phr. (colloquial).—Originally tap for tap (or tip for tap) = blow for blow; 'an equivalent' (Grose); 'tant for tant (B. E.), tit for tit, and dash for dash.' Hence, to give tit for tat = to give as good as one gets.
1577. BULLINGER, Works, I. 283. Let every young man be persuaded . . . that his duty is . . . not to answer tip for tap, but to suffer much and wink thereat.
1598. Shakspeare, 2 Henry IV., 2. i. 205. This is the right fencing grace, my lord; tap for tap, and so part fair.
1607. Dekker, Northward Hoe, ii. 1. Doll. Come tit me, come tat me, come throw a kiss at me—how is that? Capt. By Gad, I know not what your tit-mees and tat-mees are, but . . . I know what kisses be.
1766. Colman and Garrick, Clandestine Marriage, v. 2. Tit for tat, Betsey! You are right, my girl.
1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 17. The general gave him tit for tat, And answered cocking first his hat. Ibid., 117. Let him with Nell play tit for tat, And trim her till I eat my hat.
c. 1859. Palmerston [M'Carthy, Hist. Own Times, xxiii.]. I have had my tit-for-tat with John Russell, and I turned him out on Friday last.
See Tale.
Titch, subs. (Christ's Hospital).—A flogging: also as verb. [It has been suggested that titch = tight breeches: a portmanteau word.]
Titivate (or Tittivate), verb. (colloquial).—To spruce up; to put finishing touches to one's toilet.
1836. Dickens, Boz ('Mr John Douce'). Regular as clockwork—breakfast at nine—dress and tittivate a little.
1843-4. Haliburton, The Attaché, xxiii. Well, I'll arrive in time for dinner; I'll titivate myself up, and down to drawin'-room.
1856. Dow, Sermons, 1. 151. The girls are all so titivated off with false beauty, that a fellow loses his heart before he knows it.
1857-9. Thackeray, Virginians, xlviii. Call in your black man, and titivate a bit.
TITIVIL, subs. (old).—A generic reproach: a knave; a jade. [Tom Titivil in old moralities = the Devil.]
1542. Hall, Henry VI., f. 43. The devill hymself . . . did apparell certain catchepoules and parasites, commonly called titivils and tale tellers, to sowe discord and dissencion.
1560. Thersytes, 67. Tynckers and tabberers, typplers, taverners, Tytty-fylles, fryfullers, turners and trumpers.
Titley, subs. (common).—Intoxicating liquor (Hotten).
Titmouse, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum: see Monosyllable. Also tit and tit-bit (which last in qnot. 1653 = the penis).
[?] Reliq. Antiq. (1841), ii. 28 (Halliwell). Hir corage was to have ado with alle; She had no mynd that she shuld die, But with her prety tytmose to encrece and multeply.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, 1. 136. Another [called it] her Cyprian sceptre, her TIT-BIT.
