[A figurative application of TOAST sb.1, the name of a lady being supposed to flavor a bumper like a spiced toast in the drink.
See the Tatler, No. 24, of 2 June, and No. 31, of 18 June, 1709, in both of which toast is explained as a new name, upon the origin of which ‘the Learned differ very much.’ No. 24 says that ‘many of the Wits of the last Age will assert’ that the term originated in an incident alleged to have occurred at Bath in the reign of Charles II., 1660–1684. No. 31 is silent as to the incident, and gives the account cited below.]
1. A lady who is named as the person to whom a company is requested to drink; often one who is the reigning belle of the season. Now only Hist.
1700. Congreve, Way World, III. x. More censorious than a decayed Beauty, or a discarded Toast.
1705. Cibber, Careless Husb., V. 63. Ay, Madam,… ’t has been your Life’s whole Pride of late to be the Common Toast of every Publick Table.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 24, ¶ 9. This Whim gave Foundation to the present Honour … done to the Lady we mention in our Liquors, who has ever since been called a Toast. Ibid., No. 31, ¶ 8. Then, said he, Why do you call live People Toasts? I answered, That was a new Name found out by the Wits to make a Lady have the same Effect as Burridge in the Glass when a Man is drinking. Ibid., No. 71, ¶ 8. A Beauty, whose Health is drank from Heddington to Hinksey,… has no more the Title of Lady, but reigns an undisputed Toast.
1712. Swift, Lett. (1767), III. 185. Lord Rochester, and his fine daughter, lady Jane, just growing a top toast.
1713. Steele, Guard., No. 85, ¶ 7. Was that the silly thing so much talked of? How did she ever grow into a toast?
1722. Newcastle Weekly Courant, 22 Dec., 5. The celebrated Miss P——, the great Toast of the Town, has been lately carried off by a Noble Lord, to the great Mortification of many of her Admirers.
1766. [C. Anstey], Bath Guide, xi 34. ’Tis she that has long been the Toast of the Town.
1779. Mme. D’Arblay, Diary, Oct. The present beauty,… a Mrs. Musters,… the reigning toast of the season.
1822. W. Irving, Braceb. Hall, iv. 35. She will often speak of the toasts of those days as if still reigning.
1888. Burgon, Lives 12 Gd. Men, II. 346. He … described how very lovely she was … when she was a toast at Northampton.
2. Any person, male or female, whose health is proposed and drunk to; also any event, institution, or sentiment, in memory or in honor of which a company is requested to drink; also, the call or act of proposing such a health.
1746. Fielding, True Patriot, No. 13. A toast, which you know is another word for drinking the health of one’s friend … or some person of public eminence.
1780. Cowper, Mod. Patriot, 10. When lawless mobs insult the Court, That man shall be my toast, If breaking windows be the sport, Who bravely breaks the most.
1813. Ipswich Jrnl., 10 July, 2/5. Amongst the toasts given on the occasion were the following:… Success to our Arms in America.
1831. Sir J. Sinclair, Corr., II. 84 (Tour in 1775). He then gave as a toast, ‘Success to Scotland, and its worthy inhabitants.’ The sentiment was drank with much enthusiasm.
a. 1860. T. Keightley, cited in Worcester. When the toast went out of use, the sentiment took its place, and this I can remember myself. At length toast came to signify any person or thing that was to be commemorated: as ‘The King,’ ‘The Land we live in,’ etc.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt, ii. You’ll rally round the throne—and the King, God bless him, and the usual toasts.
1884. Marshall’s Tennis Cuts, 229. Wine (… for doing honour to the toasts), cigars, etc., amounted to another 14s.
3. attrib. and Comb., as toast-drinking, -list, -man; toast-master, one who at a public dinner or the like is appointed to propose or announce the toasts.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, VII. xii. The lieutenant, who was the toast-master, was not contented with Sophia only. He said he must have her sirname.
1768. Goldsm., Good-n. Man, III. No man was fitter to be a toast-master to a club.
1814. Sporting Mag., XLIV. 45. Oft amid the merry tattle, The toastman’s empty cup would rattle.
1818. Scott, Lett. to Ld. Montagu, 12 Nov., in Lockhart. I was at the cattle-show on the 6th, and executed the delegated task of toast-master.
1825. National Gaz. (Philad.), 29 June, 1/4. The committees, presidents, vice presidents, toast givers, may pass for the most disinterested people alive.
1882. Ld. Dalhousie, in Daily News, 5 Jan., 2/3. Those gentlemen whose names are down on the toast-list to respond for the House of Commons.
1908. Westm. Gaz., 12 Aug., 8/1. The members … were pledged to abstain from toast-drinking.
