1651. Randolph, Hey for Honesty; Introduction. This is no age for wasps; 'tis a dangerous touchy age, and will not endure the stinging.
1727. Gay, Fables, iv. You tell me that you apprehend My verse may touchy folks offend.
1742. Ray, North Country Words; 45. Techey for touchy, very inclinable to Displeasure or Anger.
1831. Smith, Letters [Davies] You have a little infirmity—tactility or touchiness.
1844. Barnes, Poems in Dorset Dialect, Glossary. Touchy . . . very irritable or sensitive, impatient of being even 'touched.'
1885. Daily Teleg., 14 Oct. In South Australia he is exceptionally touchy, and, in particular, you must not interfere with his pipe.
2. (artists').—Descriptive of a style in which points, broken lines, or touches are employed, as distinguished from firm unbroken line work: cf. touch, verb. 2.
3. (Christ's Hospital).—Rather: e.g., touchy a lux = rather a good thing.
Tough, subs. (American).—A
rough; a bully.
1879. Scribner's Mag., viii. 692. The whole appearance of the young tough changed, and the terror and horror that had showed on his face turned to one of low sharpness and evil cunning.
c. 1889. D. Teleg. [S. J. and C.]. The tough, his northern appellation changed to "hoodlum," continues to flourish in San Francisco.
Adj. (colloquial).—Generic for difficult, trying, severe: e.g., a tough (= incredible) yarn: 'a long story' (Grose); a tough (= difficult) job; a tough (= severe) rebuke; a tough (= violent) storm; a tough (= prolonged) siege; a tough (= stubborn) customer: a hard nut to crack. Also to make it tough = (1) to raise difficulties, to make much of a small matter, and (2) to take excessive pains; as tough as whitleather (Ray) = as tough as may be.
[?]. MS. Cantab., Ff. v. 48, f. 53. To day thou gate no moné of me, Made thou it never so tow.
[?J. Releg. Cent. ii. 29. Befe and moton wylle serve wele enow; And for to seche so ferre a lytill bakon flyk, Which hath long hanggid, resty and tow.
1383. Chaucer, Cant. Tales [Tyrwhitt], 13,309. And up he goth and maketh it ful tough. Ibid., Troilus, v. 101. If that I . . . make it to tough. Ibid., Booke of Dutchess, 531. And made it neyther tough ne queint.
c. 1640. Howell, Letters, i. iv. 15. [Breda] has yielded . . . to Spinola's Hands, after a tough Siege of thirteen months.
1781. Cowper, Table Talk, 458. Callous and tough, the reprobated race grows judgment-proof.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy, xiv. I found Mr. Macready . . . a tough, sagacious, long-headed Scotchman.
1837. Barham, Ingolds. Leg., ii. 69. 'My Lord,' said the King, 'here's a rather tough job.'
See Old Toughs.
Toupee, subs. (venery).—1. The
female pubic hair: see Fleece;
and (2) a merkin (q.v.): see
Lady's Low Toupée.
Tour, subs. (old).—A turn or drive:
spec. the fashionable promenade
in Hyde Park: now (1903) The
Row (Rotten Row). Also as
verb.
1665. Pepys, Diary, 19 Mar. Mr Povy and I in his coach to Hyde Parke, being the first day of the tour there; where many brave ladies. Ibid. (13 Mar. 1668). Took up my wife and Deb., and to the park, where being in a hackney, and they undressed, was ashamed to go into the tour.
1706. Centlivre, Basset Table, i. 2. The sweetness of the Park is at eleven, when the Beau-Monde make their tour there.
