toco, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

toco n.

also toko

[? Gk tokoz, interest (OED), Hind. ???? (?oko), imperative of ????? (?okn?) to blame or censure (Y&B), Maori toko, a rod (Partridge)]

punishment.

1821		implied in get toco (for yam)
1857		T. Hughes Tom Brown’s School–Days 119: The school leaders come up furious, and administer toco to the wretched fags.
1865		G.A. Sala My Diary in America II 368: Plenty of bullocks liver for the docile, but an abundance of ‘toco’ for the refractory.
1887		‘’Arry on Law and Order’ in Punch 26 Nov. 249/1: When a reglar Primroser gits toko, one wonders wot next there will come.
1893		J.D. Gordon Work and Play in India and Kashmir 21: It was a matter of faith with the young native mashers that she sang divinely; as a matter of fact, the sounds she produced resembled a steam whistle practising Wagner, or a naughty girl getting toko from her awful dad.
1895		‘’Arry on the Elections’ in Punch 27 July 39/1: What beans it must be to ’old ’Arcourt, wot toko to Lawson and Caine!
1903		W. Cooke in Yule & Burnell obson-Jobson 928/1: TOKO, s. Slang for ‘a thrashing.’ The word is imper. of Hind, ?ohn?, ‘to censure, blame,’ and has been converted into a noun on the analogy of bunnow and other words of the same kind.
1914		‘Ian Hay’ Lighter Side of School Life 154: A captain does not nowadays ‘administer toco’ upon the field of battle to subordinates who have failed to prevent the enemy from scoring a try.
1944		J. Cary Horse’s Mouth (1948) 32: Hit her with something harder. On the nose. Toko on the Boko.

get toco (for yam) (v.) (also nap..., catch toco instead of yam, get toko (for yam)) [for in this context equals ‘instead of’]

to be punished; opposite of give coco for yam under coco n.¹; thus give toco/toko for yam, to punish.

1821		‘Battle’ in Fancy I XVIII 427: When in, the Bishop returned toco for yam to so much purpose, that it sent him down, for the first time.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 124: ‘To nap toco for yam’ to get more beating than is given. [Ibid.] Toco for Yam Yams are food for negroes in the West-Indies, (resembling potatos) and if, instead of receiving his proper ration of these, Blackee gets a whip (toco) about his back, why ‘he has caught toco’ instead of yam.
1841		Colonial Mag. IV:16 456: 🌐 At about 9pm, the privateer ranged up close upon the larboard quarter; to baffle this intent, Lennon yawed to port, bringing his larboard guns to bear, and, as Quashee says, giving his antagonist ‘toko for yam.’.
1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 22 Jan. n.p.: Although Crawley one-twoed his man, he caught toco for his pains [...] and was sent to grass.
1881		Newcastle Courant 25 Nov. 6: Oh, yer none the worse, and anyway yer gave him toko for yam with a vengeance.
1885		Gilbert & Sullivan Mikado Act I 🌐 But as I’m engaged to Ko-Ko, / To embrace you thus, con fuoco, / Would distinctly be no giuoco, / And for yam I should get toko.

give someone toco (v.) (also give someone toko)

to beat someone, to thrash someone.

1879		‘’Arry on Niggers’ in Punch 15 Mar. 113/2: And if they will kick up their ’eels, give ’em toko!
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Nov. 11/3: Though a Bishop’s a man of much mitre / He’s seldom ‘great shakes’ as a fighter; / But this good Bishop Lioko / Will give that Priest ‘toko’ / When they meet in the realms that are brighter.
1885		‘’Arry on the Elections’ in Punch 12 Dec. 277/2: Give them dashed furriners toko with tarriffs tremenjously hot.
1891		in Punch 21 Feb. 87: Were London lighted, how could you and me / Garotte a swell, or give a tight ’un toko?
1941		J. Cary Herself Surprised (1955) 164: I took your trousers down last time and gave you toko.