Toby, the road. The highwayman or swell robber was in old days said to be on the high TOBY, from the high or main road, while those meaner fellows, the footpad and the cutpurse, were but “low TOBY-MEN,” from their frequenting the by-ways.
To-do (pronounced quickly, and as one word), a disturbance, trouble; “here’s a pretty TO-DO,” here is an unpleasant difficulty. This exactly tallies with the French, AFFAIRE (à faire).—See Forby’s Vocabulary of East Anglia.
To the nines, to the dodges of the day. “He’s up to the NINES,” means he’s up to everything. “Dressed to the NINES,” means dressed loudly, or, as it is more generally known now, “dressed to death.”
Toddle, to walk as a child.
Toe, to kick. “I’ll TOE your backside.” Common in London.
Toff, a dandy, a swell of rank. Corruption probably of TUFT. See [TOFT].
Toffer, a well-dressed “gay” woman. One who deals with TOFFS.
Tofficky, dressy, showy.
Toft, a showy individual, a swell, a person who, in a Yorkshireman’s vocabulary, would be termed “uppish.” See [TUFT].