subs. (old).—A sailor: also TARPAULIN (of which TAR is an abbreviation), JACK TAR (B. E. and GROSE), TARBREECH (or TARRYBREEKS), and TARBARREL. Hence TAR-TERMS (B. E.) = ‘proper Sea Phrases or Words.’ TAR-HOOD = the navy.
1582. STANYHURST, Æneis, iv. 393.
| Fro the shoare late a runnagat hedgebrat, | |
| A TARBREECHE quystroune dyd I take, with phrensye betrasshed. |
1672. J. PHILLIPS, Maronides, 137.
| A young TARPAULIN Jack a lent | |
| Brought him a cup of musty Tent. |
1677. WYCHERLEY, The Plain Dealer, ii. 1. Dear TAR, thy humble servant.
1695. CONGREVE, Love for Love, iii. 1. If I were a man [cries] you durst not talk at this rate—no, you durst not,—you nasty TAR-BARREL!
[?]. Turkish Spy, i. The Archbishop of Bourdeaux is at present General of the French naval forces, who, though a priest, is yet permitted to turn TARPAULIN and soldier.
d. 1704. T. BROWN, Advice to the Kentish Long-Tails, in Works, i. 151. They’ll provide for our TARRS, and settle the nation.
1706. WARD, The Wooden World Dissected. ‘To Reader.’ The most glorious Piece of the Creation, called a TAR.
1725. N. BAILEY, trans. The Colloquies of Erasmus, I. 277. Adol. If you won’t consent we’ll throw you and your Cabinet into the Sea together. Ant. Spoken like a TARPAULIN.
1749. WALPOLE, Letters, ‘Letter to Sir Horace Mann,’ ii. 285. A sea-piece … in which his own ship in a cloud of cannon was boarding the French Admiral. This … has been so ridiculed by the whole TARHOOD that the romantic part has been forced to be cancelled.
1786. BURNS, A Dream. Young royal TARRY BREEKS [Prince William Henry, afterwards William IV.].
1790. DIBDIN, Sea Songs, ‘Tom Bowling.’
| Thus Death, who kings | |
| and TARS dispatches, | |
| In vain Tom’s life has doff’d. |
1849. MACAULAY, The History of England, iii. To a landsman these TARPAULINS, as they were called, seemed a strange and half savage race. Ibid. xiv. His TARS passed their time in rioting among the rabble of Portsmouth.
1855. C. KINGSLEY, Westward Ho! xxx. No old TARRY-BREEKS of a sea-dog, like thy dad!
TO TAR OUT, verb. phr. (old).—To punish; to serve out. TO TAR AND FEATHER = a practice of great antiquity, but rare nowadays: heated tar is poured over a person, who is then covered with feathers.
TARRED WITH THE SAME BRUSH, phr. (common).—Alike.
