Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US black) very well dressed.

1936		Lil Johnson ‘That Bonus Done Gone Through’ 🎵 Now when I get all togged down, / Mens will come from miles around.
1946		Drake & Cayton Black Metropolis 574: On Easter day both were ‘togged down.’.
1958		‘Ed Lacy’ Room to Swing 15: And your clothes — they’re the end. You’re really togged down.
1962		(con. 1950s) H. Simmons Man Walking On Eggshells 197: He was togged down in a mean three-buttoned charcoal-brown suit.
1971		B. Short Black and White Baby 173: I did my routine for the camera [...] togged down in the white tails at a white baby grand.
1994		Tyler Court Courier Times (TX) 7 Sept. 13/1: The Arlegarde Club to host Togged Down Luncheon [...] Suggested accessories are a hat, gloves and handkerchief.

1. dressed up, usu. in one’s finest clothes; of a place, decorated.

c.1800		‘Blue Lion’ in Holloway & Black (1975) I 32: She’s togged out very rum, sir.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 275: tog’d out to the nines: a fanciful phrase, meaning simply that a person is well or gaily dressed.
1827		Egan Anecdotes of the Turf, the Chase etc. 178: betsey was always togged out* as nice and clean as a new-made pin. (*Well-dressed).
1834		in Flare-Up Songster 15: [song title] ‘I Am A Blowen Togg’d Out So Gay.’.
1841		‘Ax My Eye’ Dublin Comic Songster 101: I keeps a rousling tousling / Moll [...] Who, when she’s togg’d out flashy dashy, / Is like a carrot newly scraped.
1854		F. Smedley Harry Coverdale’s Courtship 4: By Jove! [...] you come togged out in as noble and appropriate garments as if you had been preparing for the last month.
1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 110: ‘togged out to the nines,’ dressed in the first style.
1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. [as cit. 1859].
1873		Manchester Eve. News 17 May 2/4: he had been so ‘togged up’ that he thought he was a Nangle.
1883		Manchester Courier 18 Apr. 3/2: Mudlark: [...] Yah! who’s togged up by Gove’mint; I buys my togs myself, I does!
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 322: Starlight himself, looking like a regular prince [...] and togged out to the nines like all the rest of ’em.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 29 Nov. 2/2: This morning she was toggod out in / A bran new bathing suit.
1893		L. Chittenden ‘The Cowboys’ Christmas Ball’ in Ranch Verses 14: The room was togged out gorgeous – with mistletoe and shawls.
1897		Bath Chron. 2 Dec. 8/2: Two Jolly Black-Faced niggers smartly ‘togged up to the nines’.
1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 124: He was togged out in checks as big as paving blocks.
1916		‘A-No. 1’ Snare of the Road 81: Togged out in the full regalia of the navy.
1927		Dundee Eve. Teleg. 16 Nov. 2/6: In spite of not being ‘togged up to the nines,’ I have a keen eye for business.
1929		J. White ‘Cowboy’s Dance Song’ in Lonesome Cowboy 16: The dudes togged out in wrappings that were simply out of sight.
1933		C. Himes ‘The Meanest Cop in the World’ in Coll. Stories (1990) 211: He was all togged out in a well-fitting worsted with a camel’s-hair topcoat.
1933		J.T. Farrell Gas-House McGinty 154: You’re togged out like a show window.
1938		Dundee Courier 14 Oct. 13/2: You’ll be all togged up with white gloves and so on.
1944		D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 35: The Cat was togged out mellow, ready in a cuttin’ blue.
1949		J.T. Farrell ‘Slouch’ in Amer. Dream Girl (1950) 97: He was always togged out in the nobbiest clothes.
1953		L. Durst Jives of Dr. Hepcat (1989) 4: Togged on out is ‘little Joe’ and ‘Johnny the scream’ and ‘Bigtown Blue’ who stays on the beam.
1961		R. Russell Sound 44: I dig the way you’re togged out.
1961		(con. 1930s) D. Behan Teems of Times and Happy Returns 132: Since it wasn’t Christmas or even Easter, Joe Kiel wanted to know why I was getting all togged out.
1967		J. Horton ‘Time and cool people’ in Trans-action 4 5/1: In 1963 a really sharp Los Angeles street Negro would be ‘conked to the bone’ (have processed hair) and ‘togged-out’ in ‘continentals.’ Today ‘natural’ hair and variations of mod clothes are coming in style.
1975		‘P.B. Yuill’ Hazell and the Three-card Trick (1977) 153: I have to be togged out in good gear for her, don’t I?
1986		C. Stroud Close Pursuit (1988) 51: Three of them are all togged out in really grubby clothes.
1986		(con. 1930s) P. O’Farrell Tell me, Sean O’Farrell 64: And soon the Staplestown boys were togged out in green.
1995		S. Armitage ‘Goalkeeper with a Cigarette’ in Dead Sea Poems 16: That’s him [...] togged out in turtleneck pyjama-suits.

2. equipped with a wardrobe.

1910

Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Dec. 31/1: The Nolans is togged out for the next twelve mont’s, and there’s the Bunmaker himself standin’ on the verandy this blessed minnit dhressed in white silk pejammies, smokin’ a pipe.

(US black) dressed in style.

1940		Detroit Free Press (MI) 8 July 17/2: Suppose you were frisking the whiskers and your main queen, who was plenty hip, togged to the bricks and no faust [etc].
1944		D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 32: Vipers and studs in frantic duds; and foxy chicks, togged to the brick.
1961		R. Russell Sound 218: All the studs in fancy duds and foxy chicks togged to the bricks is gonna be there.

(US black) very well dressed.

1979

‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 37: Togged to the teeth in a shocking pink ensemble.

disguised.

1910

D. Stewart Devil of Dartmoor in Illus. Police News 17 Sept. 12/3: ‘[W]hat an idea, me being togged up as a screw’.

well-dressed.

1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 243: She were a fine woman, and togged like a lady right up to the knocker.
1887		Queensland Figaro & Punch (Brisbane, Qld) 28 May 6/2: The Mongolians [...] were ‘togged up to the knocker’ — patent shiny shoes, best broadcloth, fancy vests, stiff masher collars, white shirts, jewelled fingers and twisted pigtails.
1895		Worcs. Chron. 21 Dec. 4/4: He had a lovely bunch of violets in his buttonhole, and was generally ‘togged up to the knocker’.
1918		Aussie (France) VIII Oct. 14/2: He was togged up to the knocker, choker and all, and sported a dinky little shovel hat with just a suggestion of a tilt.
1924		(con. WWI) A.G. Pretty Gloss. Sl. [...] in the A.I.F. 1921–1924 (rev. t/s) n.p.: togged [to] the knocker. Well dressed.

dressed up.

1866		J. Greenwood Little Ragamuffin 87: I spose you expect to be togged up afore you goes out.
1895		J. Greenwood Behind A Bus 12: Of course he isn’t togged up on week days.
1903		‘Hugh McHugh’ I Need The Money 72: I knew if I interfered togged up in the Reub harness I’d only make matters worse.
1914		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 11 Mar. 3/3: Togged up auful [sic] neat and flash.
1916		G. Squiers Aerbut Paerks, of Baernegum 2: We [...] went ’um togged up a bit.
1921		N&Q 12 Ser. IX 424: All Spruced (or Togged) Up and Nowhere to Go. Said of a soldier who has smartened himself up a little more than usual.
1933		M. Marshall Tramp-Royal on the Toby 175: A bloke, togged up like an undertaker, gave his testimony.
1941		F. Sargeson ‘That Summer’ in Coll. Stories (1965) 198: A few were dinkum lads who were all togged up to go into town in the van.
1956		R. Service ‘Local Lad’ in Rhymes for Reality (1965) 213: Tonight he’s togged up mighty slick, / And fancies himself rich.
1965		L. Dunne Goodbye to The Hill (1966) 151: I put the grey pinhead on in the tailor’s dressing-room and when I was all togged up I nearly cried.
1973		(con. 1930s) F. Huelin ‘Keep Moving’ 37: ‘Haven’t yous got those teeth yet?’ Jocka asked. ‘They’re in me swag. I only use ’em when I’m togged up.’.
1983		J. Byrell (con. 1959) Up the Cross 47: Dapper Jerry was all togged up in the latest gear.
1987		B. Chatwin Songlines 92: A station-hand, togged up in Western gear.
2000		Indep. Rev. 27 Jan. 16: A pair of stylists – wittily togged up as a devil and an angel.
2000		Indep. on Sun. Real Life 9 Jan. 3: Both of them togged up to the nines.
2001		A. Sillitoe Birthday 138: Luckily he was togged up in a suit.