Tow-ROW, subs. phr. (common).— noise; a racket (q.v.).
Touzery Gang (The), subs.
phr. (common).—Mock auction
swindlers: they hire sale-rooms,
usually in the suburbs, and advertise
their ventures as 'Alarming
Sacrifices,' 'Important Sales of
Bankrupts' Stock," etc.
Towzle(or Towse). See Tousle,
verb.
Toy, subs, and verb. (old).—Generic
for wantonness: as subs. = (1) a
lewd conceit, jest, or tale; a love
poem; amorous sport; (2) a
maidenhead; and (3) the female
pudendum. As verb = to wanton,
to dally: also to tick and toy.
Toyful (toysome, toyish, or
toying) = amorous, wanton
(Bailey, 1731).
1303. Manning [Robert of Brunne], [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 427. Manning used toy for dalliance in 1303. Ibid., i. 370. He (Skelton) has Manning's peculiar sense of toy.]
d. 1529. Skelton, Works [Dyce], 50. To toye with him.
1571. Edwards, Damon and Pithias, Prol. The matron grave, the harlot wild, and full of wanton toys.
1579. Gosson, School of Abuses. Such ticking, such toying, such smiling, such winking, and such manning them home when the sports are ended.
15[?]. Harrison, Passion of Sappho [Nichols, iv. 183]. Wanton Cupid, idle toyer, Pleasing tyrant, soft destroyer.
1590. Spenser, Fairy Queen, 11. ix. 34-35. And eke emongst them little Cupid play'd His wanton sportes . . . But other some could not abide to toy.
1596. Nash, Saffron Walden, iii. 44. [Nash confesses he was often obliged] to pen unedifying toys for gentlemen.
[?]. Gilderoy [Child, Ballads, vi. 199]. Aft on the banks we'd sit us thair, And sweetly kiss and toy.
1614. England's Helicon [Nares]. Unto her repaire. . . . Sit and tick and toy till set be the sunne.
c. 1650. Brathwayte, Barnaby's Jl. (1723), 61. With me toy'd they, buss'd me, cull'd me.
1667. Milton, Paradise Lost, ix. 1034. So said he, and forebore not glance or toy Of amourous intent.
1663. Killigrew, Parson's Wedding, 1. 2. [Toy = maidenhead.]
1678. Cotton, Virgil Travestie (1770), 46. But we can cherish lusty Yeoman, And carry Toys like other women.
1680. Dryden, Spanish Friar, iv. 2. O virtue, virtue, what art thou become, That man should leave thee for that toy, a woman!
1693. Congreve, Old Bachelor, Epil. As a rash girl, who will all hazards run, And be enjoyed . . . Soon as her curiosity is over, Would give the world she could her toy recover.
1707. Ward, Hud, Rediv., 11. ii. 8. Kisses, Love-Toys, and am'rous Prattle.
1753. Richardson, Grandison, v. 299. Two or three toysome things were said by my lord (no ape was ever so fond!) and I could hardly forbear him.
1841. Macaulay, Warren Hastings. A roi fainéant who chewed bang, and toyed with dancing girls.
Hence (old colloquial) = (4) anything of casual or trifling interest, use, amusement, or adornment, of adventitious worth, as contrasted with serious, hard use, or intrinsic value: a nick-nack, e.g., a trinket, an idle story, odd conceit, and spec. anything diminutive.
d. 1529. Skelton, Sclaunder and False Detractions. Then let them vale a bonet of their proud sayle, And of their taunting toies rest with il hayle.
1530. Tyndale, Works. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 427. Tyndale uses toy much like children's play, ii. 11 (Last Part).]
1550. Latimer, Serm. bef. Ed. VI. Here by the way I will tell you a merry TOY.
1564. Udal, Erasmus. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 484. The word toy had already meant a trifle or a folly; it now stands for a play on words, page 115, and in page xxiv. it expresses joke.]
