Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) boots, shoes.

1868

Sydney Morn. Herald 10 Jan. 6/4: I always feel like a person wearing a new pair of ‘shiney trot-boxes’ [...] very uncomfortable till I get to the end.

a dancehall, a nightclub.

1915

S. Ford Shorty McCabe on the Job 53: The Maison Maxixe, one of them new trot palaces!

how are you?

1886

‘’Arry’s Spring Thoughts’ in Punch 17 Apr. 185: How trots it, my topper?

1. on holiday.

1877

‘’Arry on His ’Oliday’ in Punch 13 Oct. 160/2: I’m out on the trot for a fortnit; and ain’t it golumpshusly fine?

2. walking around.

1889

‘’Arry in Parry’ in Punch 29 June in P. Marks (2006) 95: But when you’ve bin hours on the trot you will find you might easy do wus.

3. hiding away (usu. from the police or other authorities) to avoid an arrest, usu. by leaving one’s home, town etc.

1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1953		B. Behan Scarperer (1966) 114: Well, they will have the idea you’re on the trot from the Kate Kearney, which is the idea we want them to get.
1959		W. Hall Long and the Short and the Tall Act I: I’ll tell you where I’ll be, boy. Scarpering. Using my loaf. On the trot.
1961		J. Sparks Burglar to the Nobility 116: The phone rings and you’ve got to decide whether or not you’re going to get mixed up in the affairs of a convict on the trot.
1977		G.F. Newman Villain’s Tale 8: Leave off, Jack, for fucksake. That means I’ll have to go on the trot.
1988		J. Healy Grass Arena (1990) 35: I’d been thinking of going on the trot for a long time, deciding that my uncle’s in Ireland would be the safest place to stay.
2000		J.J. Connolly Layer Cake 247: The guy on the trot for the serious armed one is a close personal friend of Morty.

to run off, to leave at speed.

1922		C.A. Labelle Ranger Boys and the Border Smugglers 101: Let’s take it on the trot, boys.
1934		H. Miller Tropic of Cancer (1963) 303: She [...] took it on a trot down the street.
1947		D. Runyon Poems for Men 203: When he yells ‘Come and get it!’ we take it on the trot; / We don’t know what he’s got for us, but know it’s good ’n’ hot.

see sense 1 above.

to arrest and take to trial.

1874

J. Greenwood Wilds of London (1881) 250: I further ascertained that crime for which Plummy Jukes was ‘trotted in’ (committed for trial and taken to the House of Detention in the police-van) was picking pockets in an omnibus.

see sense 1 above.

1. to spend one’s money; usu. as trot out the pieces [f. sense 3 above].

1937–84

Partridge DSUE (1984) 1266/2: mid-C.19–20.

2. to produce, esp. of an excuse or a lie [f. sense 3 above].

1850		F.E. Smedley Frank Fairlegh (1878) 142: That’s it, old man [...] trot ’em [oysters] out, by all means.
1860		N.Y. Eve. Post 18 Feb. n.p.: The friends of Alexander H. Stephens are making vigorous efforts to trot him out for the Presidency [F&H].
1871		N.-Y. Trib. 23 Jan. n.p.: It is a whole year too early to trot out a candidate of our party for the presidency.
1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Jan. 4/3: They were all impressed, save one youngster, who remarked emphatically, ‘I don’t believe it. You’re a bald-headed old buffer yourself. […] Now trot out your bears.’.
1890		Bulletin (Sydney) 2 Aug. 22/2: ‘He’s got a caseful of scents, boys. All scents are made with pure rectified spirits!’ / ‘Trot ’em out.’ / And out those scents were trotted.
1900		Marvel 31 Oct. 2: You need not have trotted out that cheap bit of information.
1910		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘The Old Year’s Failures’ Sporting Times 1 Jan. 1/4: Although not a few of those bright resolves failed, / We are trotting the same goods out now.
1918		Boy’s Own Paper XL:5 282: Got anything good to it? If you have, trot it out, my boy.
1923		H.C. Witwer Fighting Blood 278: Everybody is called upon to trot out a publicity scheme.
1930		K,S. Prichard Haxby’s Circus 236: ‘Miss Kitty! Where’s Miss Kitty?’ ‘Trot out y’r little twist!’.
1950		‘Josephine Tey’ To Love and Be Wise 78: He had trotted out for her benefit all the light gossip of studio politics.
1962		R. Serling ‘The Whole Truth’ in New Stories from the Twilight Zone 16: You better trot out the strings, buddy boy.
1999		Indep. Rev. 25 June 6: The result is an uneasy mixture of real insight and a trotting out of familiar material.

3. (also trot, trot up) to exhibit (someone or something), to put on display.

1838		Lytton Alice (1873) VII 276: To be his guest! — to be shown off, and patted, and trotted out before all the rest of the company.
1861		Hills & Plains I 147: This gallant officer [...] claims to be ‘trotted out’ before my readers as the uncle by marriage of the young lady.
1873		Sl. Dict. 329: Trot out to draw or exploit, to show off the abilities of a companion; sometimes to roast for the amusement and with the assistance of an assembled company.
1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 2 Nov. 6/3: ‘All right,’ said the game big ’un, ‘trot him out’.
1892		H. Nisbet Bushranger’s Sweetheart 191: Trot her out. Fetch her along to the theatre.
1907		C.E. Mulford Bar-20 viii: ‘Got any more of these?’ [...] ‘Several,’ replied the sheriff. ‘Trot ‘em out,’ ordered Hopalong shortly.
1911		C.E. Mulford Bar-20 Days 171: ‘There ain’t a-going to be no argument about it. Trot him out,’ ordered Red.
1913		Sport (Adelaide) 22 Feb. 12/2: They Say [...] Ponto L is still trotting that tart from Brompton.
1917		J. Conrad Shadow Line 243: He was also a man of much experience, which he liked to trot out.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 100: He must be fed up with that job, shaking that thing over all the corpses they trot up.
1934		H. Miller Tropic of Cancer (1963) 176: It wouldn’t matter what the subject of conversation was [...] I’d [...] squelch it, in order to trot out my perverted dreams.

to go round (to), to pay a call (on).

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

to show someone around a place.

1910

‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘He Felt His Position’ Sporting Times 7 May 1/3: She marched him quickly homeward to explain as best he might / What the ‘late work’ was which sewed him up, and rendered him so tight / As to treat a lady not his wife, and trot her round all night.