tog, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

tog n.

also toge, togee, togg, togge, togger, toggy, tugg

[OE toge, a toga; ult. Lat. toga, a toga or cloak. As toga, it dates back to c.1400, as found in the line ‘Alle with taghte mene and towne in togers fulle ryche’ (Sir Thomas Malory, Morte d’Arthur]

1. an outer garment, a coat; thus upper tog.

1608		Shakespeare Coriolanus III:iii: Why in this wolvish toge should I stand here.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Toge c. a Coat.
1708		J. Hall Memoirs (1714) 14: Togge, a Coat.
1718		C. Hitchin Regulator 20: Togge, alias Coat.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1741		Ordinary of Newgate Account 31 July 🌐 He had a pretty rum outside and inside †† Togee [...] ††A good Coat and Waistcoat.
1741		Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 112: A Coat A Toggy.
1753		J. Poulter Discoveries (1774) 30: The ringing Toggs and Seats.
1768		(con. 1710–25) Tyburn Chronicle II in Groom (1999) xxix: A Toge A Coat.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: toge a Coat (cant).
1817		Oxford Jrnl 11 Jan. 2/5: My name is Charles Turpin; I am come for your three togs (flash for great coats).
1824		letter 28 Dec. in Pierce Egan’s Life in London (10 Apr. 1825) 83/2: [W]e planted (buried) the property, no great way of the spot where you found Monsieur Dodson's tog (coat) .
1826		Vulgarities of Speech Corrected n.p.: Togger A great coat.
1834		Marryat Peter Simple (1911) 393: May I be so bold as to ax, Captain O’Brien, whether I must wear one of them long tog, swallow-tailed coats?
1848		Ladies’ Repository (N.Y.) Oct. VIII:37 317/1: Tog, a coat.
1850		Man of Pleasure’s Illus. Pocket-book n.p.: Mother Willit, of Gerrard Street, who could turn out forty dress mots; and, to crack her own wids, ‘So help her kidnies, she al’us turned her gals out with a clean a—e and a good tog’.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 8/2: They go in strong on the ‘sneak’ when dark, or at the break of the races, when in the confusion [...] a ‘tog’ or ‘spread’ is sure to change owners.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1933		Ersine Und. and Prison Sl.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1959		D. Niland Gold in the Streets (1966) 204: We go like aristo-something, all posh tog.
1965		B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 86: I lit a shuck back to my regular old pad and jumped into a different tog.
1971		(con. 1930s–50s) D. Wells Night People 118: Tog. A suit.

2. (US Und.) among pickpockets, an overcoat used as a shield.

1822		R. Nares Gloss. (1888) II 888: toge, s. A gown; from the Latin toga.
1908		Dly Press (Newport News, VA) 19 Apr. 12/3: The overcoat which conceals the hand is known to pickpockets as a ‘tog’.
1914		Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl.

In derivatives

toggish (adj.) (also toggy)

fashionable, smart in appearance.

1836		‘The Chap Who The Ball Cocks Hangs’ in Flash Casket 93: He dresses so toggish and smart, / And in figure all others he bangs.
1880		W.W. Skeat Reprinted Glossaries 82/2: Toggish, adj. proud of his toggery, i. e. finery : a slang expression.
1913		Day Book (Chicago) 21 July 32/1: I entered an American headgear establishment, wishing [to buy] a new straw hat. The clerk retorted [...] ‘Say, I’ve got the toggiest layout of breakfast food kellies you ever nailed your lamps on. Here’s one that’s a dame-killer. Clinch it between your ears!’.

In compounds

tog and kicks (n.)

coat and trousers.

1819		‘One of the Fancy’ Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress 13: Has there any thing equall’d the fal-lals and tricks / That bedizen’d old georgy’s bang-up tog and kicks!
1848		Sinks of London 127/2: Tog and kicks, breeches and coat.

tog-bound (adj.)

lacking decent or fashionable clothes.

1909

J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.

tog-fencer (n.) [-fencer sfx]

1. a tailor.

1909

(ref. to 1870) in J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era.

2. (UK tramp) a market seller of secondhand clothes.

1935

X. Petulengro Romany Life 243: Splendid suits for working-class folks who buy them either direct from the old clo’ man or on markets where a man who works under the name of tog-fencer sells them.

In phrases

in full tog (adj.)

dressed up, in uniform.

1824		J. Wight Mornings in Bow St. 51: He was bundled up [...] in a posse of charleys, all in full tog, enough to smother up a Hercules.
1831		Navy at Home I 63: He was an extremely sleek and comely personage on the whole, when in full tog or grande tenue, as the French say.
1864		G.T. Strong Diaries (1952) III 18 Apr. 430: House was full and everybody in the fullest tog, men in white chokers and women in ball costume.

long tog (n.) (also long togs)

(US Und.) an overcoat; ? a suit.

1807		H. Tufts Autobiog. (1930) 291: Long tog signifies a coat.
1830		Marryat King’s Own II 152: When I landed at Porstmouth, I retained a suit of ‘long togs,’ as we call them.
1949		(ref. to 1806) J. Grossman James Fenimore Cooper 14: The captain, when he went ashore, used to dress in blue long-tog, drab breeches, and top-boots, so that he could pass for a country gentleman.

outside tog(e) (n.)

a cloak.

1738		Ordinary of Newgate Accounts 8 Nov. 🌐 He told Dr. Fluellin, he had seen a Tale, (a Sword) a Scout, (a Watch) a Calm and Shade, (a Hat and Wig) a Brace of Wedges, (Silver Buckles) and an outside Toge, (a Cloak).
1738, 1741		cited in Partridge DU (1961).

simp togs (n.)

best clothes, smart clothes.

1965

B. Jackson Get Your Ass in the Water (1974) 124: Then I’ll put on my simp togs [sharp clothes] for I will have my gage, / to look your town over for some yellow babes.

top tog (n.)

(UK Und.) an overcoat.

1859

Matsell Vocabulum.

under tog (n.)

an under petticoat.

1753

J. Poulter Discoveries (1774) 42: An under Tugg; an under Petticoat.