old toast

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A lively fellow who drinks excessively; a carouser.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

How often muſt I be put to the Bluſh too, when every old Toaſt ſhall be calling me Old Acquaintance, and telling me, Oh Sir, 'tis many a fair Day ſince you and I knew one Another firſt. I think 'twas in the four and thirtieth of the Queen, that we were School-fellows. How the World's alter'd ſince!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A brisk old fellow. CANT.

Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “old toast” mean?

A lively fellow who drinks excessively; a carouser.

Is “old toast” formal or informal?

old toast is generally slang.