Verb. (colloquial).—To do with energy; to set to work; to cope with; to attack: generic. Thus to tackle (= to attempt the solution of) a problem; to tackle (= to attempt) a woman: to tackle (= to close with) a burglar, etc.
1844. Major Jones's Courtship, 53. It tuck a feller mighty wide between the eyes to tackle that tree, for it was a whopper.—Ibid., Travels [Bartlett]. I shook the two fellows off my trunks monstrous quick, and was going to tackle the chaps what had my carpet-bag.
1858. New York Times, 9 Aug. The people are no ways backward about discussing the subject of Mormonism. . . . One of the gentry tackled Governor Powell the other day, determined to make a convert.
1862. Thackeray, Philip, xxi. Tackle the lady, and speak your mind to her as best you can.
d.1868. S. Lover [Imp. Dict.]. The old woman . . . tackled to for a fight in right earnest.
1869. Stowe, Oldtown, 168. They was resolute, strong, hard-workin' women. They could all tackle a hoss, or load and fire a gun.
1885. Field, 4 April. A paid collector would be infinitely more successful than any number of printed appeals signed by gentlemen who could not tackle people personally.
1887. Punch, 10 Sep. 111. If a feller would tackle a feminine fair . . . he 'as got to be dabs at the cackle.
Tad, subs. (American).—"Perhaps
an abbreviation of 'tadpole.' A
very small boy, especially a small
street-boy" (Century); "little
tads, small boys; old tads, gray-beards,
old men" (Bartlett).
2. (provincial).—Excrement (Halliwell).
3. (American).—A wencher; a mutton-monger (q.v.).
Taf, adj. (back slang).—Fat; e.g.,
taf eno = a fat man or woman
(lit. = fat one).
Taff, subs. (Christ's Hospital).—A
potato.
Taffy, subs. (old).—1. A Welshman.
Hence Taffy's Day = St.
David's Day, the 1st March (B. E.
and Grose). [A Welsh pronunciation
of 'Davy.']
1577. Harrison, Descr. Eng. 206. [Oliphant, New Eng. i. 595. A Welshman is called a David (taffy)].
1661. Merry Drollery [Ebsworth]. taffie [a Welshman].
. . . Old Rhyme. Taffy was a Welsham; Taffy was a thief.
2. (American).—Flattery; blarney (q.v.), soft-soap (q.v.).
As verb = to flatter. [Taffy = toffee.]
1879. New York Tribune, 16 Sep. There will be a reaction, and the whole party will unite in an offering of taffy.
Tag, subs. (Winchester football).—An
off-side kick: also as verb.
c.1840. Mansfield, School Life (1866), 237. Tag . . . When a player has kicked the ball well forward, and has followed it, if it was then kicked back again behind him by the other side, he was then obliged to return to his original position with his own side. If the ball had, in the meantime, been again kicked in front of him, before he regained his position, and he was to kick it, it would be considered unfair, and he would be said to tag.
Tag, rag, and bobtail See Rag, senses 1, 2, 3, and add the following quots.
d.1599. Spenser, State of Irelana. They all came in both tagge and ragge.
1610. Jonson, Alchemist, i. 5. Gallants, men and women, and All sorts, tag-rag.
1637. Heywood, Royal King [Pearson, Works (1894), vi. 14]. Stood I but in the midst of my followers, I might say I had nothing about me but tagge and ragge.
