north. dial. Also tag(a)reen. [Origin uncertain: perh. arbitrary formation on TAG sb.1] More fully tagarene shop: An old clothes or rag shop; a marine store. Hence tagarene-man, the keeper of a marine store, esp. one who visits ships in dock or harbor with a boatful of wares for exchange.
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., s.v., ‘They keep a tagreen shop, an old clothes store; an old rope and rag depôt.
1894. Northumb. Gloss., s.v., A ‘tagareen man’ has a floating shop which he rows about the tiers of ships, announcing his presence by a bell.
1900. F. W. Bullen, With Christ at Sea, xi. 285. The skipper arrived with his crony the ‘tagarene’ man and a large supply of brandy.
