Green’s Dictionary of Slang

taters (in the mould) adj.

cold.

1924		E. Pugh in Advertiser (Adelaide) 12 Apr. 24/7: A friend of mine — who is a ‘stiff pitcher’, or beginning letter writer by profession — recently remarked to me, ‘Tain’t ’alf taters, guv’nor [...] Taters in the mould’.
1938		L. Ortzen Down Donkey Row 12: Tatters in the mold – Cold.
a.1945		L. Payne private coll. n.p.: Cold ‘Taters’ in the Mold.
1958		F. Norman in Vogue Oct. in Norman’s London (1969) 35: It was Christmas Eve and the weather was double taters.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 131: It was so tatters that if you went to the corner [...] the chances were that your ears would fall off.
1969		S.T. Kendall Up the Frog 11: T’ain’t ’arf taters in the mould in ’ere!
1979		R. Barker Fletcher’s Book of Rhy. Sl. 39: Those who are taters in the mould.
1986		Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, MA) 5 May 5/5: Next thing you know [...] he complains of the ‘taters’, meaning cold taters in the mold.
2002		M. Coles More Bible in Cockney 38: It’ll be like taking off their these-and-those on a taters ol’ day.
2004		P. Corris Coast Road 160: ‘I haven’t heard that expression [i.e. for cold] in a while.’ ‘I’ve got a few, like taters’.
2008		J. Niven Kill Your Friends (2009) 33: Dis is a bit more blahddy like it! Nice an ’ot. Fackin’ tayters in London!