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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

touting-ken n.

also tooting-ken

[Scot. tout, the act of drinking a large draught, a large draught of liquor + ken n.¹ (1)]

(UK Und.) a tavern, an alehouse or the bar within.

1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) 180: Touting Ken A Tavern Bar.
1688		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 214: A Barr Touting ken.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Touting-ken, c. A Tavern or Ale-house Bar.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit (5 edn).
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 15: A Bar – Touting-ken.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Touting ken; the bar of a public house.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 88: Touting Ken, the bar of an hotel.