Tombstone-style, subs. phr. (printers').—A fashion in 'composition': spec. of 'displayed' advertisements, these resembling (or are supposed to resemble) monumental inscriptions.
Tom Coney, subs. phr. (old).—A
blundering idiot; a thundering
fool (B. E. and Grose).
Tom Cox's Traverse, subs. phr.
(nautical).—'Tom Cox's traverse,
three turns round the
long boat, and a pull at the
scuttle butt': said of a shirker
feigning busy.
1835. Dana, Before Mast, xii. Every man who has been three months at sea knows how to work 'Tom Cox's traverse.' This morning everything went in his way. Sojering was the order of the day.
Tom, Dick, and Harry (or Tom
and Dick), subs. phr. (common).—Everybody
and anybody: cf.
'all the world and his wife.' As
adj. = commonplace.
[c. 1693. Brown, Works, iii. 72. Offended to hear almost every gentleman call one another Jack, Tom and Harry? They first dropt the distinction proper to men of quality, and scoundrels took it up and bestowed it upon themselves.]
1733. Mallet, Verbal Criticism [Chalmers, ii. ii. 1]. Rivalling the critic's lofty style, Mere Tom and Dick are Stanhope and Argyll.
1886. Stevenson, Kidnapped, 287. He rode from public house to public house and shouted his sorrows into the lug of Tom, Dick and Harry.
1901. Free Lance, 30 Nov., 224. i. Such a performance would be monstrous, blasphemous, and indefensible . . . exposed to the critical comments of Tom, Dick, and Harry.
Tom-doodle, subs. phr. (common).—A
simpleton: see Buffle.
c. 1709. Ward, Terræ-filius, v. 10. That one Tom-doodle of a Son, who . . . if he happens to be Decoy'd . . . to fling away Two Pence in Strong Drink, he Talks of nothing but his Mother.
Tom-double, subs. phr. (Old).—A
double-dealer; a shuffler.
1705. Harl. Misc., ii. 355. 'Character of a Sneaker.' He is for a single ministry, that he may play the Tom-double under it.
Tom Drum. See Jack Drum's
entertainment.
Tom-farthing, subs. phr.
(common).—A fool: see Buffle.
Tom-fool, subs. phr. (common).—A
thundering fool: an
intensive: see Tom and Jack-fool
(Jack, 8). Hence tom-foolery
(tom-folly, or tom-*foolishness)
= nonsense, trash,
anything ridiculous or trifling;
tomfoolish = ridiculously absurd;
Tom-fool's colours =
scarlet and yellow (the ancient
motley—'Red and yellow, Tom-fool's
colour'); 'More know
Tom fool than Tom fool knows'
(a sarcastic retort on failing to
recognise, or professing to be
unacquainted with, a person
saluting).
1565. Calfhill, Treat. on Cross (Parker), 226, s.v.
c. 1709. Ward, Infernal Vision, 1. St. Barth'lomew's Physicians next came up, Some bred Tom-Fools, and some to Dance the Rope.
1824. Landor, Imag. Conv., 'Archd. Hare and W. Landor.' 'Foolery' was thought of old sufficiently expressive; nothing short of tomfoolery will do now.
18[?]. Southey, Nondescripts, viii. A man he is by nature merry, Somewhat Tom-foolish, and comical, very.
1838. Beckett, Paradise Lost, 63. I thought that all who saw me In such a Tom-fool's dress would jaw me.
