a. and sb. Now dial. [Late ME.; origin unascertained.]
† A. adj. Not firm or solid; unsound. rare–0.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 491/2. Thoke, as onsadde fysche, humorosus.
B. sb. † 1. An unsound fish: see quots. Obs.
1482. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 222/1. That tale fish shuld not be pakked with the lesse fish called Grilles, nor there shuld be pakked therwith neither Thokes nor broken belied fissh. [Cf. 1482–3 Act 22 Edw. IV., c. 2 § 3 Saunz mixture & pakkur dez chosez et [v.r. thokes ou] pessons rompez le ventre.]
1494–5. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 23. Without medling and packing of Thokys or broken belied fisshe with the seid tale fisshe or small fisshe.
1758. Descr. Thames, 259. Of barrelled Fish. Grills, Thokes, &c.
2. dial., School slang. (See quots.)
[a. 1485. Promp. Parv. (Winch. MS., ed. 1908), 97. Cowerde, herteles, long choke [suggested reading 582 thoke], vecors.]
1891. Wrench, Winchester Word-bk., Thoke,… a rest, a lying in bed, an idling.
Hence Thoke v. ‘to lie late in bed, to be idle; thoke on, to look forward to; Thokester, an idler’ (Winchester Word-bk.); Thokish, Thoky adjs. dial.: see quots.
a. 1682. Sir T. Browne, Tracts, viii. (1684), 146. Words … of common use in Norfolk … as … Thokish.
1691. Ray, S. & E. C. Wds., Pref. ad fin., Cothish, morose, and thokish, slothful, sluggish, I have no account to give of.
1847–78. Halliwell, Thokish, slothful; sluggish. East. In Lincolnshire it is usually thoky.
