part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza, the Queen of Charles II.: the regiments were raised for the defence of that possession.]
Tangle, subs. (Scots). A tall,
lanky person.
Tanglefoot (or Tangleleg),
subs. (American).—Any intoxicating
liquor. Tanglefooted
= drunk: see Screwed.
1862. Punch, 26 July. Eye-brightener And leg-tangler, And scores of other compounds known To each 'cute bar-room dangler.
1871. Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. He proceeded leisurely toward a neighboring saloon in quest of tangle-foot.
Tank, verb. (King Edward's School,
Birm.).—To cane; to cosh
(q.v.). [Prov. tank = a blow.]
Tankard. Tears of the
Tankard, subs. phr. (old).—Drippings
of liquor on the waistcoat
(Ray, B. E. and Grose).
Tanner, subs. (old).—Sixpence:
6d.: e.g. 'The Kiddy tipt the
rattling-cove a tanner for luck'
= 'The lad gave the coachman
sixpence for drink' (Grose): see
Rhino. Hence tannergram
= a telegram: when the minimum
cost was reduced from is. to 6d.
1843. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxxvii. The Man in the Monument replied a Tanner. It seemed a low expression compared with the Monument.
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, iii. 239. A 'shise' half-bull, and a 'duffing' tanner.
1896. Oamuru (N.Z.) Mail, 13 June. Tannergrams is the somewhat apt designation which the new sixpenny telegrams have been christened in commercial vernacular.
1897. Marshall, Pomes, 31. This worn-out tanner 'Arry gave me once, To show his love was true, and not no bunce.
1899. Whiteing, John St., xxviii. 'There's a whole tanner's worth for nix . . .' as she makes me a giant buttonhole from the wild growths.
1901. Walker, In the Blood, 20. On this trip Billy had pinched a tanner dropped in the gutter.
Tannikin, subs. (old).—A Dutch
placket; maid, wife, whore, or
widow.
1605. Marston, Dutch Courtezan, i. 1. A pretty nimble-eyd Dutch tanakin.
1608. Armin, Nest of Ninnies. Out she would, tucks up her trinkets, like a Dutch tannikin sliding to market on the ise, and away she flings.
Tanquam, subs. (Old Cant).—See quot. 1681.
1662. Fuller, Worthies [1840]. ii. 359. Thomas Dove, D.D., was . . . bred a tanquam in Pembroke Hall in Cambridge.
1681. Blount, Gloss. Tanquam is a Fellow's fellow in our Universities.
Tantadlin. See Tantoblin.
Tantarabobs, subs. (provincial).—The
Devil (Halliwell).
Tantivy, subs., adj., verb and
intj. (old).—Primarily a hunting
call: a note on the horn. As
subs. = (1) full chase; (2) = violent
movement; (3) a fox-hunting
parson; and (4) temp. Charles
II., a High Tory: also Tantivy-boy.
As adj. = swift. As verb
= to racket, to gallop, to rush.
c. 1602. (Scotland Charact. (1701), Harl. Misc., vii. 380]. In the time of King James I., soon after his coming into England, one of his own country thus accosted him: Sir (says he), I am sorry to see your majesty so dealt with by your prelatical tantivies.
1641. Brome, Jovial Crew, iv. 1. He is the merriest man alive, Up at five a' Clock in the morning . . . and tantivy all the country over.
