A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words / Used at the Present Day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James.

by John Camden Hotten

THUNDERING, large, extra-sized.

TIBBING OUT, going out of bounds.—Charterhouse.

TICK, credit, trust. Johnson says it is a corruption of ticket,—tradesmen’s bills being formerly written on tickets or cards. On tick, therefore, is equivalent to on ticket, or on trust. In use 1668. Cuthbert Bede, in Notes and Queries, supplies me with an earlier date, from the Gradus ad Cantabrigiam.

“No matter upon landing whether you have money or no—you may swim in twentie of their boats over the river UPON TICKET.”—Decker’s Gul’s Hornbook, 1609.

TICKER, a watch.

TICKET, “that’s the TICKET,” i.e., what was wanted, or what is best. Corruption of “that is not etiquette,” by adding, in vulgar pronunciation, th to the first e of etiquette; or, perhaps, from TICKET, a bill or invoice. This phrase is sometimes extended into “that’s the TICKET FOR SOUP,” in allusion to the card given to beggars for immediate relief at soup kitchens.—See [TICK].

TIDY, tolerably, or pretty well; “how did you get on to-day”—“Oh, TIDY.”—Saxon.

TIED UP, given over, finished; also married, in allusion to the Hymenial knot, unless a jocose allusion be intended to the halter (altar).

TIFFIN, a breakfast, dejeuner a la fourchette.—Anglo Indian slang.

TIGER, a boy employed to wait on gentlemen; one who waits on ladies is a page.