Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also Tat’s) Tattersall’s horse market in London.

1843		R.S. Surtees Handley Cross (1854) 136: Warrantin’ is quite out of fashion, and never thought of at Tat’s.
1859		G.A. Sala Twice Round the Clock 195: The City dandy [...] who has just driven down from the Stock Exchange to see what is going on at ‘Tat’s’.
1903		A. Binstead Pitcher in Paradise 143: The two good men from Tatt’s gripped their old chum’s fists.
1925		Sporting Times 31 Oct. 3/1: Blown into Tatt’s by a squall of wind and rain [...] I found ‘The Yard’ rather sparsely occupied.

2. (Aus., also Tatt) Tatt’s sweep, a lottery established in 1881 on that year’s Sydney Gold Cup by George Adams (1839–1904), licensee of Tattersall’s Hotel, Sydney.

[1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 25 Sept. 2/2: A lot of ‘books’ at Tatt’s were were wetting their throttles dry].
1888		Queensland Figaro & Punch (Brisbane) 17 Nov. 5/3: Tatt’s sweeps needs no puffing; they are too well and favorably known for that.
1896		Western Grazier (Wilcannia, NSW) 12 Sept. 3/1: ‘Tatt’s Sweeps’. The Legislative Assembly has passed the third reading of the Gambling Bill legalising Tattersall’s Consultations.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 27 Jan. 14/2: Next he fell over a cutting and broke about eight bones; and just afterwards he won £750 from ‘Tatt.’ Now was that man a lucky one or an unlucky?
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 124: ‘Won thirty thousan’ quid in Tatt.’s, aven’t yeh?’ said the packer.
1915		R.D. Doughty diary 24 July 🌐 We’re all going to take a ticket in Tatts when we get back.
1922		Advocate (Burnie, Tas.) 2 Sept. 1/2: Irish ‘Tatts’. A Dublin syndicate is establishing race sweeps similar to ‘Tatts’.
1927		N.Z. Truth 29 Dec. 4/6: F’r the love ’f Mike... Gee... [...] drinks for the whole damn city... I’ve — struck Tatts!
1931		Townsville Daily Bull. (Qld) 7 July 11: O’Doherty and Kennedy [...] dragged £2,500 each out of Tatt’s.
1948		Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 25 Dec. 6/1: In walked a character in a tuxedo, looking like an Indian who’d just won Tatts.
1954		(con. 1940s) E. Lambert Veterans 204: ‘Feeling better?’ ‘Like first prize in Tatts. I’ve been sleeping.’.
1960		N. Hilliard Maori Girl 238: Unless he struck Tatts or a good double at the races.
1966		J. Holledge Great Aust. Gamble 19: Then a sweepstakes ticket he had taken in ‘Tatt’s’ won.
1984		W. Ammon et al. Working Lives 57: Big Waxie let out a whoop of delight. He had won a prize in Tatts.
1998		P. Doyle (con. late 1950s) Amaze Your Friends (2019) 199: ‘Where do you collect?’ ‘City Tatt’s’.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.