1881. Pascoe, Everyday Life. The clock striking seven, each junior retires to his toys or bureau for an hour and a half during what is known as toy-time, when the work of the next morning and the week's composition have to be prepared.
1891. Wrench, Winchester Word-Book, s.v. Toys . . . The expression toy-time suggests that the s has been added. If toys has not descended from this word [teye], it must have been transferred from the contents of the toys, and mean simply one's belongings.
Tprot, intj. (old).—An exclamation
of contempt (Wright, Political
Songs, 381).
Trace, subs. (colloquial).—In pl. =
authority, work, guidance, restraint;
hence in the traces =
in harness (q.v.), at steady work;
TO KICK OVER THE TRACES = to
set at defiance, run riot, take the
law into one's own hands.
Track, verb. (Old Cant).—1. To
go: hence to track up the
dancers = 'to whip upstairs'
(Head, 1671; B.E., c. 1696;
Grose, 1785). Also (modern) to
make tracks = to go (or run)
away: see Bunk; TO MAKE
tracks FOR = (1) to proceed towards;
and (2) to attack, to go
for (q.v.).
1847. Lytton, Lucretia, II. vii. 'Bob, track the dancers. Up like a lark—and down like a dump.' Bob grinned . . . and scampered up the stairs. Ibid. (1858), What Will He Do With it? III. xvi. Come, my Hebe, track the dancers.
1857. Kingsley, Two Years Ago, xiv. You will be pleased to make tracks, and vanish out of these parts for ever.
1887. Field, 28 Feb. On joining my friend, we at once made tracks for the camp, ready for what was to follow.
1888. Ward, Rob. Elsmere, xiii. I made tracks for that lad. . . . I found him in the fields one morning.
1897. Marshall, Pomes. He said he was a banker, did our smart Teutonic Max, And many a quid he'd given her, before he made his tracks.
2. (modern.)—In various phrases: e.g. IN one's tracks = on the spot, as one goes, then and there; off the track = discursive, out of one's reckoning, at sea; inside track = the truth, BEDROCK (q.v.).
1884. Century Mag., xl. 224. [The boy] was in for stealing horses, but I think the real thief swore it off on him. If he did, God forgive him; he had better have shot the boy in his tracks.
Trade, subs. (American colloquial).
—1. An exchange: e.g. a. swopping
of knives. Also as verb = to exchange.
2. (Christ's Hospital).—See quot.
1900. D. Teleg., 16 Mar. 'London Day by Day.' After the boys had concluded their simple repast of bread and butter, they formed up two-and-two, and bowed to the Lord Mayor, the different wards being headed by the trades as the boys who carry the candlesticks, the bread-baskets, table-cloth, and cutlery are termed.
Trade-mark, subs. phr. (colloquial).—1.
A scratch on the face;
hence to put one's trade-mark
upon one = to claw the face:
spec, of women.
c. 1876. Music Hall Song, 'Father, take a run.' The old woman . . . pawns everything in the place; And if I correct her for what she has done, She draws her TRADE-MARK DOWN MY FACE.
2. (servants').—A cap.
Trader, subs. (old).—A whore:
see Tart : also she-trader and
TRADING DAME. Hence THE
TRADE = harlotry.
1678. Cotton, Virgil Travestie (1770), 72. That she, Now car'd no more for her good Name Than any common Trading Dame.
