Touter, a looker out, one who waits at railway stations and steamboat piers, and touts for customers; a hotel runner. Term in general use.
Touzle, to romp with or rumple.—Scotch.
Towel, to beat or whip. In old English phraseology a cudgel was termed an oaken TOWEL—whence, perhaps, the verb.
Towelling, a rubbing down with an oaken TOWEL, a beating.
Town and Gown. The fight which used to come off every 5th of November between the undergrads and the “cads.” The sides used to shout respectively “TOWN!” and “GOWN!” as war-cries.—Oxford University.
Town-lout, a derogatory title at Rugby School for those pupils who reside with their parents in the town, in contradistinction from those who live in the boarding-houses.
Tow-pows, grenadiers. From the bearskins, most likely, unless it was originally TALL-POWS, the grenadiers being the tallest men in the company.
Towzery gang, swindlers who hire sale-rooms, usually in the suburbs, for mock auction sales of cheap and worthless goods, and who advertise their ventures as “Alarming Sacrifices,” “Important Sales of Bankrupts’ Stock,” &c. The American name for a mock auctioneer is a “Peter Funk.”
Tracks, “to make TRACKS,” to run away. See [STREAK].
Tradesman, one who thoroughly understands his business, whatever it may be. No better compliment can be passed on an individual, whether his profession be housebreaking, prizefighting, or that of a handicraftsman, than the significant “He’s a regular TRADESMAN.”