tallow, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

tallow n.

[resemblance]

semen.

1833		song title in Out-and-Outer in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) IV 151: Dip, the Tallow-Chandler.
1882		Cremorne II 51: Come, you know you’ve got a machine like this, / Do you think it was only meant to piss, / And never to spend your tallow.
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 1201/2: low C.19–early 20.

In compounds

tallow face (n.)

a light-complexioned black individual.

1941

Warner, Junker & al. Color & Human Nature 151: ‘My sister and I were often referred to as ’Tallow Face’ or ’redheaded yaller niggers’ .

In phrases

tallow up one’s pole (v.) [the image is of a saddle that becomes dried out with inactivity and needs rubbing with tallow soap, in this case the sense above ]

to have sexual intercourse, esp. after a period of abstinence.

1951		in Randolph & Legman Ozark Folksongs and Folklore (1992) I 202: Well, I jumped in the saddle and I called for my roll, / Thought I’d go to town and taller up my pole.
1992		Randolph & Legman Ozark Folksongs and Folklore I 202: taller (tallow) up my pole, to have sexual intercourse, especially after a long period of inactivity and abstinence or sexual starvation. This ‘dries out a man’s leather (or equipment),’ ostensibly referring to his saddle and lariat, which therefore need to be ‘limbered up’ with tallow-soap, meaning (in the code sense here) the man’s own semen: ‘Well, I jumped in the saddle and I called for my roll, / Thought I’d go to town and taller up my pole.’.

SE in slang uses

In compounds

tallow-breeched (adj.)

having fat buttocks.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

tallow-gutted (adj.)

pot-bellied.

1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1960		F. Pohl Star of Stars 213: Maybe the tallow-gutted fool had really thought that would make him keep his promises.

tallow pot (n.)

(US tramp) a locomotive fire man.

1914		B.T. Harvey ‘Addenda – The Northwest’ in DN IV:ii 164: tallow pot, n. The fireman of a locomotive.
1930		‘Dean Stiff’ Milk and Honey Route.
1938		L. Beebe High Iron 224: Tallowpot: Locomotive fireman.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1991		(con. 1920s) O.D. Brooks Legs 169: The hogger, tallow pot and head-end shack were sitting on a low pile of ties eating lunch.

In phrases

let the hide go with the tallow (v.) [see let the tail go with the hide under tail n.]

(US) to ignore small details while concentrating on the overall picture.

1885		Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA) 21 Jan. 2/2: The federal government will soon be democratic, and it’s a good time to let the tail and the hide go with the tallow.
1890		Inter Ocean (Chicago) 5 Mar. 12/1: The Republicans are undecided whether to let the hide go with the tallow or try to save the entire carcase.
1905		Coffeyville Dly Record (KS) 23 Mar. 1/3: They will either prepare to wait [or] ‘let the hide go with the tallow’.
1919		Courier-Jrnl (Louisville, KY) 15 Oct. 17/6: The owner says let the hide go with the tallow.
1937		Pittsburgh Press (PA) 23 Sept. 39/3: West [...] opened the five of spades [...] Huske [...] reasoned he might as well let ‘the hide go with the tallow’ and played low.
1978		Detroit Free Press (MI) 21 Mar. 48/1: Let some of the hide go with the tallow, as uncle John used to say.