Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 4–7 tewe, 5 tewhe, tewyn, 6 teawe, 6–7 teaw, 7 tiew, tewgh, 8–9 tue, 7– tew. [In branch I. app. a later collateral, derivative, or altered form of TAW v.1, with which it is synonymous; the form-history is obscure. Branch II. corresponds to nothing in TAW, and may be of other origin, though sense-development from branch I. is conceivable.]
I. 1. trans. To convert skin into a species of leather, by steeping, beating, and manipulation; to dress; = TAW v.1 2.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 12453. Fful manye kynges had he [the giant Ryton] don slo, & flow þe berdes of alle þo; Til a pane, as a furour, he did hem tewe.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 490/1. Tewyn lethyr, frunio, corrodio.
1530. Palsgr., 754/2. I tewe leather, je souple.
1601. Holland, Pliny (1634), II. 473. Certaine skinnes of leather well tewed and dressed vntill they be soft.
1681. Chetham, Angler’s Vade-m., xxxiv. § 3 (1689), 186. After the skin is tewed in the skinner’s lime-pits.
1709. Brit. Apollo, II. No. 49. 4/1. Were his Hide tew’d by Tanners.
fig. 1709. Brit. Apollo, II. No. 29. 3/2. Tew her Hide with an Oaken Plant.
b. intr. for refl. or passive.
c. 1880. Northants. Dial., Take it [the leather] out again and let it lie and tew.
2. To work (anything) into proper consistency by beating, etc.; to temper (mortar). Now dial.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 138. Then doe wee water it [the earth] and tewe it well att the first, and soe leaue it for her that serveth to temper.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 88/2. Tew, to Batter or draw out a peece of Iron.
1721. Bailey, To Tew … to beat Mortar. To Tew Hemp … to beat or dress it.
1797. P. Wakefield, Ment. Improv. (1801), III. 2. Kneading and tewing the two earths together is the most laborious part of the work.
1883. Almoudbury & Huddersf. Gloss., s.v., That lime wants better tewing.
3. transf. and fig. a. To deal with or employ.
1489. Churchw. Acc. Walberswick, Suffolk (Nichols, 1797), 183. Yt 1 man, or 2 men shall rec. the town doollys of heryngs and sperlings … and to tewe them to most profyte of the town.
† b. To prepare or bring into a proper state or condition for some purpose. Obs.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. xxx. 9. No man can giue him selfe cheerfully vnto prayer, till he bee thoroughly teawed and well furbished by the crosse.
a. 1577. Gascoigne, Flowers (1587), 1. These chattering teeth, this trembling toong Well tewed with careful cries.
a. 1619. Fletcher, Wit without M., III. i. So tewed him up with Sack that he lies lashing a But of Malmsie for his Mares.
† 4. To beat, flog, thrash, belabor. Also fig. = TAW v.1 3, 3 b. Obs.
1598. Dallington, Meth. Trav., G ij. He left them all France, tyned and tewed, as bare as a birdes bone.
1600. Holland, Livy, 716. When they saw once the bodies of their Tribunes tewed with rods.
1622. Fletcher, Begg. Bush, III. ii. Tew ’em, swinge ’em, Knock me their brains into their breeches.
1664. J. Wilson, A. Commenius, II. i. He does so tew the Pope; That man of sin, The Whore of Babylon.
1670. Narborough, Jrnl., in Acc. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1694), 75. The Trees are much weather-beaten,… and the shore-sides much tewed with the surge of the Waters.
† b. To lay on (a rod, scourge). Obs. rare.
1583. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., Ep. Ded. A ij b. Whiche roddes and scourges, when he hath in his great wisedome, teawed vpon them, for their amendement, he will surely … caste into the fire.
c. dial. To shake up, toss about, turn over (as hay); to tumble, rumple, crease, disarrange (dress); to pull about, pull in pieces; to discuss; to vex.
In Eng. Dial. Dict., cited as in use from Northern Counties to Warw., Northamp., E. Anglia.
II. 5. trans. To fatigue or tire with hard work; refl. = 6. dial.
1825. Brockett, N. C. Words, s.v. Tue, He tues himself.
1893. Carlisle Patr., 30 June, 3/3 (E. D. D.). S—— went down before K——, who was sair tewed in the operation…. The two giants could not be said to have tew’d themselves much.
c. 1895. ‘Flit,’ Holderness Harvest, 84. I’se been tewing mysen a’most to deead all forenoon.
6. intr. To work hard, to exert oneself, to toil; to bustle about. Now dial. and U.S.
1787. Grose, Provinc. Gloss., To Tew,… also to work hard.
1825. Brockett, N. C. Words, Tue, to labour long and patiently, to fatigue by repeated or continued exertion…. A tuing life, a laborious life. A tuing soul, a hard working person.
1863. Trollope, St. Olaves, II. 4. Little folks like you an’ me has to tew about and fend for ’em both.
1894. Baring-Gould, Queen of L., xii. I tew from morning till night.
1909. Daily News, 31 May, 4. Our male folk, who after ‘tewing’ at the mill all the week are usually allowed to take their time at the Saturday tea table.
Hence Tewed ppl. a.; Tewing vbl. sb. (also attrib.) and ppl. a.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 490/1. *Ievwyd, frunitus.
1488. in Ripon Ch. Acts (Surtees), 286. i bukskyn tewyd.
1611. Cotgr., Tracassé, hurried, tossed, tugged, tewed; spoiled, ouerworne, or misused, by much remouing.
1863. Mrs. Toogood, Yorks. Dial., Tewed, tired, exhausted.
1892. Carruth, in Kansas Univ. Mag., I. (U.S.), (E.D.D.). I’m tewed and fretted.
1394–6. Cartular. Abb. de Whiteby (Surtees), 623. Item pro *tewyng xiiii pellium luporum, i. s. ix. d.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 201. Whoos tewhyng hath coost many a crowche, Hire pylche souple for to make.
1852. R. S. Surtees, Sponge’s Sp. Tour, x. Bullfrog, whom I bought him of, is very fat … and can’t stand much tewing in the saddle.
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., s.v., ‘A tewing hay time,’ the season wet and unfavourable for the hay,… involving much extra labour.
1882. Ogilvie (Annandale), Tewing-beetle, a spade-shaped instrument for tewing or beating hemp.
1902. Baring-Gould, Nebo the Nailer, xix. She alway was a tewin’ woman.
