Towering, adj. (colloquial).—Extreme, violent, outrageous.
1713. Addison, Cato, ii. 1. All else is towering phrenzy and distraction.
1849-61. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xxii. Russell went into a towering passion.
TOWHEAD, subs. (colloquial).—1. A flaxen-haired person; and (2) a rumple - head; in contempt. Whence tow-headed = rough-headed, unkempt.
Town, subs. (old colloquial).—1. London: e.g. 'I go to (or leave) town to-morrow'; 'So-and-so is in town: cf. Lane, House, Alley, etc.: whence man about town (see Phrases).
1601. Shakspeare, Henry VIII., Prol. As you are known the first and happiest hearers of the town.
1607. Dekker and Webster, Westward Hoe, iii. 1. Ten. I know not when he will come to town. Moll. He's in town; this night he sups at the Lion in Shoreditch.
1648. Commons' Journals, v. 245. That a letter be directed to the Vice-Admiral to desire him to suffer Prince Philip, brother to the Prince Elector, to come to town.
1711. Addison, Spectator, No. 2. A baronet . . . Sir Roger de Coverley. When he is in town he lives in Soho Square.
c. 1825. Jenkinson [Davies: Bp. Jenkinson of St. David's (1825-40) offered a curate in his diocese a living, and desired him to come to town to be instituted. The curate expressed every willingness to obey the command, but added that his Lordship had omitted to mention the name of the town where his presence was required.]
2. (University and schools').—Townspeople, as distinguished from Gown (q.v.) = the members of the University. [In early days Universities were subject to perpetual conflict—with the town, the Jews, the Friars, and the Papal Court: see quot. 1853.]
Also townsman and (Cambridge) Townee (or Towner): Ger. Philister. Town-lout (Rugby) = a scholar residing in the town with his parents, and towney (Christ's Hospital) = (1) the antithesis of 'housey,' that is peculiar to the Hospital: whence (spec.) towneys = clothes more in accordance with modern taste for town wear than is the distinctive Blue habit; also (2) a comrade from the same town or locality (army): Fr. pays.
1846. Punch, x. 163. For the gownsmen funk the townsmen, And the townsmen funk the gown.
1853. Bradley, Verdant Green, II. iii., Note. Town and Gown disturbances [date back to] 1238. They not unfrequently terminated fatally to some of the combatants: on St. Scholastica the Virgin, February 10th, 1345, several lives were lost on either side. Grostête, the Bishop [Lincoln], placed the townspeople under an interdict, [which lasted] till 1357, when the mayor and sixty of the chief burgesses were required every anniversary to attend St. Mary's Church and offer up mass for the souls of the slain scholars, and individually present an offering of one penny at the high altar, besides a yearly fine of 100 marks to the University, with the penalty of an additional fine of the same sum for every omission in attending at St. Mary's. This fell into abeyance at the Reformation. In 15 Eliz., however, the University claimed arrears, and it was decided that the town should continue the annual fine and penance, though the arrears were forgiven. The fine was yearly paid on the 10th of February until put an end to by Convocation in the year 1825.
1887. Blue, Nov. Mention is made of the time when a boy leaves the school. The consequent change of dress might be vulgarly expressed by 'exchanging houseys for towneys.'
1899. Heywood, Guide to Oxford. Town and gown rows . . . nowadays . . . are happily unknown.
Phrases, etc.—To come to TOWN = (1) to become common, and (2) to be born; ON the town = (1) getting a living by
