tom n.3
1. (S.Afr.) a barmaid.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Mixed Humanity 8: He held out the inducement of a new ‘tom’ being at this establishment – meaning a new barmaid. |
2. (Aus.) a woman [poss. earlier use of sense 3].
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 11 May 3/6: And he drank with the ladies from foreign parts, ‘Shine Toms,’ he reckoned them — ‘ryebuck tarts!’. |
3. a prostitute, esp. one working in Mayfair.
| Phenomena in Crime 255: A Tom. Old Prostitute. | |
| Boss of Britain’s Underworld 13: We even had some of the West End toms on our side, ready to phone us. | |
![[SA]](/static/img/flags/sa.png "South Africa") | Weak and the Wicked 134: Prostitutes (‘Toms’ to the British police) take up their beats according to the type of services they are prepared to render. | |
| You Flash Bastard 40: But complaints like those against DC Bates and DC Eric Humberstone, who was on complaint for what amounted to talking to a couple of old toms in a pub, made Sneed angry. | |
| ‘Prison Language’ in Michaels & Ricks (1980) 526: One might dream of a jump with a chick (girl), tom or brass (prostitute). | |
| Lowspeak. | |
| (ref. to c.1948) Dead Men’s Wages (2003) 104: Mr Miller as he reluctantly called him ordered two ‘toms’ at once. | |
| Jack of Jumps (2007) 316: He knew the husband, used the pubs, poked the toms. |
In compounds
the distribution of cards advertising prostitute’s services; thus tom-carder.
| Indep. on Sun. 8 Apr. 9: ‘Tom-carders’, the prostitutes’ agents, who earn £30 for every 100 cards placed in phone boxes [...] Westminster City Council, which is due to sponsor legislation to make ‘tom-carding’ a criminal offence. |
(UK Und./police) the vice squad, esp. as regards prostitution.
| Sir, You Bastard 144: Sneed found a couple of DC’s from the current Toms Patrol, which pursued [...] old drippers. | |
| Lowspeak 139: Tom squad – the Vice Squad. |