taper
To give over gradually, to run short.
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taper off
to gradually decrease or become less intense
tappers
Shoulder tappers: bailiffs.
tar
Don't lose a sheep for a halfpennyworth of tar: tar is used to mark sheep. A jack tar; a sailor.
tar and feathers
to punish or humiliate someone publicly
tar-brush
A person whose complexion indicates a mixture of negro blood, is said to have had a lick of the TAR-BRUSH. Sometimes a man of this description is said to have been dipped in the black-pot, and he is often reminded that "another dip would have done it," i.e., another dip would have made a negro of him.
tar-out
To punish, to serve out.
tariff reform
A political movement in Great Britain, inaugurated in 1903 by Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914), for the extension of the tarifFon imports, principally with the object of preventing dumping" (i.e. the disposal in our own country of surplus or unsaleable goods manufactured abroad at such a price that the home markets are cut out), and for the protection of home industries.
tarpaulin
A sailor.
tarpawlin
A coarse cloth tarred over: also, figuratively, a sailor.
Tarpeian Rock
Sometimes used figuratively, as in Massinger's New Way to Pay Old Debts, where Sir Giles Overreach calls Greedy a ''barathrum of the shambles" (Hi, 2), mean- ing that he was a sink into which any kind of food or offal could be thrown.
tarred and feathered
Stripped to the skin, daubed with tar, and then rolled in feathers
tarring and feathering
A punishment lately inflicted by the good people of Boston on any person convicted, or suspected, of loyalty: such delinquents being "stripped naked", were daubed all over wilh tar, and afterwards put into a hogshead of feathers.
tart
Sour, sharp, quick, pert.
Tartan Plaid
A plaid of a tartan, or chequered, pattern. A plaid is some twelve yards of narrow cloth wrapped round the waist, or over the chest and one shoulder, and reaching to the knees. It may be chequered or not; but the English use of the word in such a compound as Scotch plaids, meaning chequered cloth, is a blunder for Scotch tartans. The tartan is the chequered pattern, every clan having its own tartan.
tartar
To catch a Tartar; to attack one of superior strength or abilities. This saying originated from a story of an Irish-soldier in the Imperial service, who, in a battle against the Turks, called out to his comrade that he had caught a Tartar. 'Bring him along then,' said he. 'He won't come,' answered Paddy. 'Then come along yourself,' replied his comrade. 'Arrah,' cried he, 'but he won't let me.'--A Tartar is also an adept at any feat, or game: he is quite a Tartar at cricket, or billiards.
tartar
A savage fellow, an "ugly customer." To "catch a TARTAR," is to discover somewhat unpleasantly that a person is by no means so mild or good-tempered as he or she at first appeared.
Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered
He was the son of Eudes (Otho) and Emma (sister of Robert Guiscard); Bcemond or Bohemond was his cousin. In the epic he was the greatest of all the Christian warriors except Rinaldo.
taste of one's own medicine
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
taste of one's own poison
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
tat
A tattoo.
tat
Tit for tat; an equivalent.
tat monger
One that uses false dice.
Tate and revised by Dryden
Ofthe prin- cipal characters, David stands for Charles II; Absalom for his natural son James, Duke of Monmouth (handsome and rebellious); Achi- tophel for Lord Shaftesbury; Zimri for the Duke of Buckingham; and Abdael for Monk. The accommodation of the biblical narrative to contemporary history is so skilfully made *hat the story of David seems to repeat itself. Absent.
tater
A home run.
tater
"s’elp my TATER," an evasion of a profane oath, sometimes varied by "s’elp my greens."
taters
Cold.
taters in the mould
Cold.
tatler
A watch. To flash a tatler: to wear a watch.
tatler
A watch; "nimming a TATLER," stealing a watch.
tats
Old rags; milky TATS, white rags.
tatterdemalion
A ragged fellow, whose clothes hang all in tatters.
tattoo
A beat of the drum, of signal for soldiers to go to their quarters, and a direction to the sutlers to close the tap, and draw no more liquor for them; it is generally beat at nine in summer and eight in winter. The devil's tattoo; beating with one's foot against the ground, as done by persons in low spirits.
tattoo
A pony.—Anglo-Indian.
tatty bye
Goodbye.
tau cross
A T-shaped cross, especially St. Anthony's cross.
Taverner's Bible
An independent trans- lation by a Greek scholar, Richard Taverner, printed in 1539 (the same year as the first Great Bible) by T. Petit for T. Berthelet. It had no influence on the Authorized Version, but is remarkable for its vigorous, idiomatic English, and for being the first English Bible to include a third Book of Maccabees in the Apocrypha.
taw
A schoolboy's game, played with small round balls made of stone dust, catted marbles. I'll be one upon your taw presently; a species of threat.
taw
A large or principal marble; "I’ll be one on your TAW," I will pay you out, or be even with you,—a simile taken from boys aiming always at winning the TAW when playing at marbles.
tawdry
Garish, gawdy, with lace or staring and discordant colours: a term said to be derived from the shrine and altar of St. Audrey (an Isle of Ely saintess), which for finery exceeded all others thereabouts, so as to become proverbial; whence any fine dressed man or woman said to be all St Audrey, and by contraction, all tawdry.
tax upon beards
Peter the Great imposed a tax upon beards. Every one above the lowest class had to pay 100 roubles, and the lowest class had to pay a copeck, for enjoying this "luxury." Clerks were stationed at the gates of every town to collect the beard tax.
tayle drawers
Thieves who snatch gentlemens swords from their sides. He drew the cull's tayle rumly; he snatched away the gentleman's sword cleverly.
taylors goose
An iron with which, when heated, press down the seams of clothes.
tbe absent are always wrong
The transla- tion of the French proverb, Les absents out toujours tort, which implies that it is always easy to lay the blame on someone who is not present to stand up for himself.
Te Deum
To try to do that for which one has no qualifications; to criticize presumptuously.
Te feoM in
To restrain. The allusion is to horses reined up tightly.
Te Igitur
One of the service-books of the Roman Catholic Church; so called from the first words of the canon of the Mass, To igitur ("Thee, therefore") clementissime Pater.
te wear the horns
To be a cuckold. This old term is possibly connected with the chase.
te-he
To titter, "Upon this I TE-HE’D."—Madame d’Arblay. As an interjection it is as old as Chaucer. See Miller’s Tale:—
tea and crumpets
a traditional British snack
tea gueland
Ireland. Teaguelanders; Irishmen.
tea leaf
A thief.
tea-fight
An evening party, alias a "muffin-worry."
tea-kettle broth
"Poor man's soup," consisting of hot water, bread, and a small lump of butter, with pepper and salt; the French soup maigre.
tea-spoon
Five thousand pounds. See SPOONS.
teach grandma how to suck eggs
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
teach someone a lesson
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
teacher's pet
a student favored by their teacher
teagueland
Ireland. From the national character of the name TEAGUE.
teaich-gir
Right, otherwise TADGER.
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