Forms: 5 tussill, 6–7 tusle, 6–9 tussel, 8–9 tustle, 9 tussell, tussle, tuzzle. [Orig. app. Sc. and northern; prob. dim. or freq. of TOUSE v.: cf. TOUSLE, in north. dial. toozle.]
1. trans. To pull or push about roughly, to hustle; to struggle or contend roughly with, to engage in a tussle with. Now rare.
1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., IX. (Wolf & Fox), xvii. I trow, ye haif bene tussillit with sum tyke.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 18. Sum of them … hath baitid and tuslid and chasid me.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Tustle, to rumple, ruffle, or touze.
1775. S. J. Pratt, Liberal Opin., lxxii. (1783), III. 34. The maid opened the door … and then we tussel’d her against the door-post.
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., VII. vi. (1872), II. 318. His Majesty hustled and tussled the unfortunate Crown Prince.
2. intr. To struggle or contend in a vigorous and determined way; to wrestle confusedly; to scuffle. a. in physical sense.
1638. in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1883), I. 232. Wee present … Iane Ireland and Elizabeth Ireland for tusling and scolding one uppon another.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, III. 322. These sons of him That hurls the bolt trisulcate … Did tustle with red-ey’d pole-cat.
1836. Marryat, Japhet, xxvi. I tussled with the man until my coat and shirt were torn.
1852. Fraser’s Mag., XLVI. 95. When fairly hooked, he shakes his head, tuzzles a little at the line, and … slips away.
b. in fig. use.
1862. H. Marryat, Year in Sweden, I. 425. The Catholics tustled with the Reformed clergy for the pulpit.
1864. Mrs. Clive, John Greswold, I. 187. That … bitter thought … tussles hard with ones fortitude.
1897. N. Y. Voice, 18 March, 8/2. The new tarift bill with which the extra session of Congress will tussle and pass, is said to be in the main a restoration of the McKinley tariff of 1890.
Hence Tussling vbl. sb. and ppl. a.; also † Tusslement, an act of tussling, an assault (obs.).
1597. Salford Portmote Rec. (1902), 3. Adam Pilkington and Isabell Traves made an affraye or tusselment.
1844. Kinglake, Eöthen, xxvii. (1878), 352. Forest trees, tall and stately … yet lead a tussling life of it below.
1858. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., III. xvi. (1872), I. 240. The innumerable sanguinary tussellings of this War.
