Tabard. The famous inn sign in Southwark immortalised by Chaucer’s “Canterbury Pilgrims,” from the ancient tunic with wide flap sleeves still worn by the heralds.
Tableaux Vivants. French for “living pictures,” specifically the realisation of a celebrated painting or a scene from history by a group of persons.
Table d’Hôte. Most people are under the impression that this term means a dinner as served at a hotel. This is erroneous. Its literal signification is “the table of the host.” Until quite modern days a traveller who desired to be served with a meal at an inn had to take it with the landlord at his own table.
Taboo. Strictly speaking, there is no such word as “tabooed,” yet we generally find it employed in the place of “taboo.” The latter is the European rendering of the Polynesian tapu, signifying a thing reserved or consecrated to the use of one person. For a South Sea Islander to exclaim tapu when he sees anything that he fancies, is tantamount to saying “I claim this thing; anyone else who touches it shall die.” Amongst ourselves a subject which is taboo must not be discussed.
Taffy. The generic name for a Welshman, corrupted from Davy, which is short for David, the most common Christian name of the country, in honour of St David.
Tagus. The Phœnician for “river of fish.”
Tailor. From the French tailleur, based upon the verb tailler, to cut.
Take a Back Seat. An Americanism for “You have outdone me; I’ll retire from the front row.”
Take a Rise out of Him. To take an undue advantage, to benefit by a mean action. This originated in fly-fishing; when a fish sees the fly held out of the water it rises to seize the coveted prey, and is caught itself.
Takes the Cake. An expression derived from the Cake Walking competitions of the Negroes in the southern states of the American Union. A cake is placed on the ground, and the competitors, male and female, walk around it in couples. Those who disport themselves most gracefully take the cake as their prize.