Tally (or To Live Tally), verb. (provincial).—To live in concubinage; to dab it up (q.v.): chiefly in mining districts. Also to make a tally-bargain.
1890. Notes and Queries, 7 S. x. 297. They're living tally is the way neighbours speak of them to enquiring visitors. . . . To live tally is quite a common expression amongst the working classes in all parts of Lancashire, as is also tally-woman.
Tally-men, subs. (old: now recognised).—'Brokers
that let out
Cloths at moderate Rates to wear
per Week, Month, or Year'
(B. E.); 'that let out clothes to
the women of the town' (Grose).
Tallywag, subs. (venery).—The
penis: see Prick.
Tame. To run tame, verb. phr.
(old).—'To live familiarly in the
family with which one is upon a
visit' (Grose). Cf. Tame Cat.
Tame-army, subs. phr. (old).—The
London Trained Bands (Grose).
[Cf. Foote's description (Mayor of
Garratt) of the 'London Regiments'
as 'holiday soldiers,'
'never wet to the skin in their
lives' except 'as a matter of accident.']
Tame-cat, subs. phr, (common).—A
woman's fetch-and-carry; a
hearthrug saint.
Tame-goose, subs. phr. (old).—A
foolish fellow: a simpleton; also
tame-fellow (B. E.) = 'tractable,
easy, manageable.'
c. 1598. Jonson, Case is Altered (1605). I say cast away; yea, utterly cast away upon a noddy, a ninny-hammer, a tame-goose.
Tamper, verb. (B. E.).—'To
practise upon anyone.'
Tan, subs. (old).—To flog; to
thrash. Hence tanning = a
beating. Also to tan one's
hide.
. . . Robin Hood and Tanner [Child, Ballads, v. 229]. Tan. If he be so stout, we will have a bout, And he shall tan my hide too.
1731. Coffey, Devil to Pay, 5. Come, and spin, you drab, or I'll tan your hide for you.
1862. Wood, The Channings. The master couldn't tan him for not doing it.
1884. Clemens, Huck. Finn, v. 32. If I catch you about that school I'll tan you good.
To smell of the tan, verb. phr. (literary).—To smack of the ring; to be circussy: cf. Lamp.
Tandem, subs. (orig. Univ.:
now recognised).—1. See quot.
1785 and 1890. Hence (2) a
carriage so drawn; and (3) a
bicycle for two riders.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Tandem. A two-wheeled chaise, buggy, or noddy, drawn by two horses, one before the other; that is, at length.
1831. Disraeli, Young Duke, i. 2. The Duke of St James . . . found sufficient time for his boat, his tandem, and his toilette.
1885. Pennell, Cant. Pilgr. Two rode a tandem; the third a bicycle.
1890. Century Dict. s.v. Tandem. A humorous application, prob. first in university use, L. tandem, at length, with reference to time, taken in the E. use with reference to space, 'at length, stretched out in a single file . . . one behind the other . . . as to drive tandem' (that is, with two or more horses harnessed singly, one before the other instead of abreast).
Tangierenes (The), subs. (military).—1.
The Queen's (Royal
West Surrey Regiment), late the
2nd Foot: 2. The King's Own
(Royal Lancaster Regiment), late
the 4th Foot. [Tangiers formed
