subs. (common).—1. Generic for horse-racing: hence THE TURF = (1) the racecourse; and (2) racing as a profession; ON THE TURF = making one’s living by racing (GROSE): cf. ‘in the City’; TURFITE (or TURFMAN) = a racing man; TURFY = sporting.
1760. FOOTE, The Minor. [Horses are kept for THE TURF.]
1783–5. COWPER, The Task, ii. 227.
| We justly boast | |
| At least superior jockeyship, and claim | |
| The honours of THE TURF as all our own! |
1843. DICKENS, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxvi. It was a … horsefleshy, TURFY sort of thing to do.
c. 1882. LORD GEORGE BENTINCK [ANNANDALE]. All men are equal on THE TURF or under it.
1887. The Field, 16 July. The modern TURFITE, to use a common but by no means elegant expression, has quite enough to do to keep himself posted in the most recent doings of the horses of to-day.
2. (Winchester).—The pitch: at cricket, the ‘field’ being ‘long grass.’
3. (Felsted School).—The cricket field: always without the definite article.
1881. Felstedian, Nov., 75. There are (or were) six cricket pitches on TURF.
Verb. (Derby School).—1. To send to bed at bedtime.
2. (Marlborough School).—To chastise.
