Forms: α. 7 tap-too, tap too, tapp too, 7–8 taptow, 7–9 taptoo. β. 7 tat too, tato, 8 tatoo, 9 tattoe, 7– tattoo. [In 17th c. tap-too, a. Du. taptoe in same sense; f. tap the tap (of a cask), + toe = doe toe ‘shut.’ So Sw. tapto, Sp. (1706) tatu. Cf. Ger. zapfenstreich, LG. tappenslag, Da. tappenstreg, with the first element the same, and second element meaning ‘stroke, beat.’
Although Du. tap toe was in military use in our sense 1 in the 17th c., there is reason to doubt if this was its original use. Tap toe = doe den tap toe ‘put the tap to,’ ‘close or turn off the tap,’ was app. already in colloquial use for ‘shut up! stop! cease!’: Dr. Kluyver points out, in a play of 1639 from Emden, Doch hier de tap van toe = ‘but here we shut up,’ or ‘say no more.’]
1. Mil. A signal made, by beat of drum or bugle-call, in the evening, for soldiers to repair to their quarters in garrison or tents in camp.
α. 1644. Col. Hutchinson’s Onders, in T. C. Hine, Nottingham, etc. (1876), App. § 8. If anyone shall bee found tiplinge or drinkinge in any Taverne, Inne, or Alehouse after the houre of nyne of the clock at night, when the Tap-too beates, hee shall pay 2s. 6d. Ibid., § 10. After the houre of nyne of the clock at night, after the taptoo hath beaten, untill the Revelly hath beaten the next morninge.
1645. N. Drake, Siege Pontefr. (Surtees), 65. Not to stay there any longer but till tapp too beate, which was about 10 a clock.
1675. Lond. Gaz., No. 1014/4. The third night, after … the Taptow had beaten, we made a very good Retreat, without the loss of a Man.
1706. Phillips (ed. 6), Tat-too or Tap-too, the beat of Drum at Night for all Soldiers to repair to their Tents.
1736. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict., Taptow, tattoo.
1803. Collins, Gen. & Garrison Orders (1879), 30. After the beating of the taptoo.
1833. Sir C. J. Napier, Colonies, 190. The soldiers are just able to hear the ‘taptoo’ beat.
β. 1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xix. (Roxb.), 153/2. The drumer is to beat all maner of beats, as a Call, a Troope, a March,… a Retreit, a Tato, and a Revally.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 74. None but Christians lodge within the City [Bacein], the Banyans repairing to the Suburbs upon Tattoo.
1767. in R. Rogers, Jrnls. (1883), 238, note. Your memorialist must further inform you that Rum was let out of the Fort after tatoo.
1814. Scott, Wav., lxvii. I question if the red-coats hae beat the tattoo yet, and we’re not safe till then.
1844. Regul. & Ord. Army, 259. The Tattoo is to beat at Eight o’clock in the Winter, and at Nine o’clock in the Summer Season.
1884. Grove, Dict. Mus., IV. 63/2. The Tattoo concludes by the ‘Second Post’ or ‘Last Post.’
b. A military entertainment consisting of an elaboration of the tattoo by extra music and performance of exercises by troops, generally at night and by torch or other artificial light. (So G. zapfenstreich.)
1742. H. Walpole, Lett. (1903), I. 216. You know one loves a review and a tattoo.
1904. Daily News, 8 Aug., 7. The Sherwood Foresters … carried out the tattoo under the direction of Lieut. Parkinson.
1907. Standard, 19 Jan., 6/7. After dark there was a torchlight tattoo, in which 800 men took part.
c. A drum-beat in general, as a means of raising an alarm, attracting attention, etc.
1688. in Boys Sandwich (1792), 760. The news … caused us … to keep a strong watch, and the tattoo was sent about.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 109, ¶ 3. A young Lady cannot be married, but all the Impertinents in Town must be beating the Tattoo from one Quarter of the Town to the other, to show they know what passes.
1717. Prior, Alma, I. 454. All those, whose hearts are loose and low Start if they hear but the tattoo.
1872. C. Gibbon, For the King, i. The drum beat a reckless tattoe.
fig. 1579. Dilworth, Pope, 87. Every such advertisement is a tattoo for all the mercenary scribblers in a nation.
2. transf. A beating or pulsation as of a drum; the action of beating, thumping, or rapping continuously upon something.
1755. H. Walpole, Lett. (1846), III. 136. Can I help feeling a tattoo at my heart, when the Duke of Newcastle makes as great a figure in history as Burleigh or Godolphin?
1820. Sporting Mag., VI. 178. He … played such a tattoo upon his antagonist’s head, as rendered him almost senseless.
1840. Thackeray, Bedford-Row Conspir., iii. Beginning to play a rapid tattoo with her feet.
1878. Masque Poets, 97. The hail begins to beat outside A tattoo for the storm.
b. Devil’s tattoo: the action of idly tapping or drumming with the fingers, etc., upon a table or other object, in an irritating manner, or as a sign of vexation, impatience, or the like.
1803. Mar. Edgeworth, Belinda, xvii. Mrs. Freke beat the devil’s-tattoo for some moments.
18[?] R. Keely, Thump’em, the Drummer, in Univ. Songster (1826), II. 81.
| Moll Cook gave a scream, seized the tongs in a crack, | |
| And beat up the devil’s tattoo on his back. |
1826. Disraeli, Viv. Grey, II. ii. The Peer sat in a musing mood, playing the Devil’s tattoo on the library table.
1855. H. Spencer, Princ. Psychol. (1872), II. VIII. iv. 544. Beating the ‘devil’s tattoo’ with the fingers on the table, is a recognized mark of impatience.
1906. E. Hubbard, The Cigarettist, 15. To roll his own cigarettes gives the defective something to do. Nervous, clutching, scratching, searching, yellow-stained hands—hands that alternately play the devil’s tattoo and roll cigarettes.
