of desperate men, whose ferocity was heightened by religious enthusiasm. . . . Thus the appellation of Whig was fastened on the Presbyterian zealots of Scotland, and was transferred to those English politicians who showed a disposition to oppose the court, and to treat Protestant nonconformists with indulgence. The bogs of Ireland, at the same time, afforded a refuge to Popish outlaws, much resembling those who were afterwards known as Whiteboys. These men were then called Tories. The name of Tory was therefore given to Englishmen who refused to concur in excluding a Roman Catholic prince from the throne.
1886. Fortnightly Rev., xxxix. 136. It was never certain whether he was going to nobble the Tories, or square the Radicals.
1887. Contemp. Rev., li. 4. The party led by Sir Robert Peel no longer called itself 'Tory,' but Conservative.
4. (American).—A loyalist: during the period of the War of Independence. Hence any one favouring the claims of Great Britain against the revolted Colonies.
1821. Cooper, Spy, xxix. Washington will not trust us with the keeping of a suspected Tory, if we let the rascal trifle in this manner with the corps. Ibid., xxii. Surrender, you servants of King George . . . or I will let a little of your tory blood from your veins.
1855-9. Irving, Life of Washington, ii. 371. It was said that the Tories were arming and collecting in the Highlands, under the direction of distinguished officers, to aid the conspiracies formed by Gov. Tryon and his adherents.
Tosh, subs. (public schools').—1.
A bath, a foot-pan. Also as verb
= to splash, to douse, to throw
water over a person: e.g., 'He
toshed his house beak by mistake,
and got three hundred';
tosh-pond (Royal Military Academy)
= the bathing-pond.
1881. Pascoe, Life in Our Public Schools. A tosh pan, an important utensil for periodical ablutions on stated nights, is also provided.
2. See Tush.
3. (University).—Nonsense; rot (q.v.): 'What frightful tosh' (Oxf. Mag. 26 Oct. 1892).
Tosher, subs. (Oxford University).—1.
An unattached student.
2. (nautical).—A small fishing vessel.
1885. Daily Telegraph, 26 Nov. Thus a tosher is not a longshore driver, though both little vessels are employed in catching what they can close into the land.
3. (Hotten).—'A man who steals copper from ships' bottoms in the Thames.'
Tosh-soap, subs. phr. (public
schools').—Cheese: see Tosh.
Toss, subs. (old colloquial).—1.
agitation, commotion, anxiety.
1666. Pepys, Diary, 2 June. This put us at the Board into a tosse. Ibid. (1667), 10 Oct. Lord what a tosse I was for some time in, that they could not justly tell where it [gold that he had buried] was.
1870. Judd, Margaret, ii. 5 'We are all in a toss in our neighbourhood,' said Mistress Pottle.
2. (Billingsgate).—A measure of sprats.
Verb. (colloquial).—To drink at a draught, to gulp: e.g., to toss a can of beer: also to toss off: cf. toast. Hence toss-pot = a drunkard (Grose): see Lushington; tossed (or tosticated) = drunk: see Screwed.
1560. Pilkington, Sermons (Parker Soc.) [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 558. Among the new substantives are gamester . . . lip-labour] a tosspot.
1582. Hakluyt, Vovages, 1. 253. They returne to their old intemperancie of drinking, for they are notable tosspots.
