A Tout Originally Peeped and Spied
To tout is to solicit business persistently. The word's first meaning was to peer.
To tout is to solicit business or attention persistently, and in Britain a *tout* also resells tickets at inflated prices. Middle English *tuten* meant to peer or peep, and the racing world supplies the bridge: a tout was originally someone who spied on training gallops to gather information on horses, then someone who sold that information, then anyone soliciting aggressively. In Ireland and Northern Ireland *tout* means an informer, keeping the spying sense directly.
- To solicit. *Touting for business.*
- A ticket reseller. *A ticket tout.*
- An informer (Irish). *A tout.*
- To peer (archaic). *Tuten.*
- Middle English — *tuten*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | tout | Touting. |
| Noun | tout | A tout. |
| Past | touted | Touted. |
| Compound | ticket tout | A ticket tout. |
| Middle English | tuten | To peer. |
- Touting for custom.Soliciting.
- Ticket touts outside the ground.Resale.
- Tuten meant to peep.Etymology.
Racing words in general English
- Tout — one who spied on training gallops
- Also-ran — a horse finishing outside the places
- Front runner — a horse that leads from the start
- Neck and neck — level in a close finish
- Down to the wire — the wire marked the finish line
Middle English *tuten*, to peer or peep, of uncertain earlier origin.
What did tout originally mean?
To peer or spy. Racing touts watched training gallops to gather information before the word broadened.
Why does tout mean an informer in Ireland?
Because it kept the original sense of spying and reporting on others.