U.S. colloq. Also toat. [In current use 1676–7; origin unascertained.
For an alleged Negro origin there is no foundation; the quot. 1676–7 from Virginia does not refer to negroes; later the word is found well-established in the New England States; evidence for an Indian origin is also wanting.]
trans. To carry as a burden or load; also, to transport, esp. supplies to, or timber, etc. from, a logging-camp or the like. To tote fair, to carry one’s fair share; fig. to act or deal fairly or honestly.
For catena of quots. see Mr. A. Matthews in N. and Q., 10th Ser. II. 261, and Thornton, Amer. Gloss., s.v.
1676–7. (Feb.) Grievances of Glouc. Co. (Va.), (Col. Office Rec. P.R.O. 5/1371, p. 326). They [Governor’s out-guard] were by Beverly comanded to goe to work, fall trees and mawle and toat rails, which many … refusing to doe, he presently disarm’d them.
1769. Boston Gaz., 7. Aug., 3/2. The next Morning he was toated on board the Rippon, in a Canoe … or some other small boat.
1781. J. Witherspoon, Wks. (1802), IV. 470. Tot is used for carry, in some of the southern states.
1803. J. Davis, Trav. U.S., 389. I … cart all the wood, tote the wheat to the mill. Note, Tote is the American for to carry.
1807. W. Irving, Life & Lett. (1864), I. 189. At Baltimore I made a stay of two days, during which I was toted about town.
1809. Monthly Anthology, VII. 264. Tote is marked by Mr. Webster. ‘Virg.’ But we believe it a native vulgarism of Massachusetts.
1812. J. J. Henry, Camp. agst. Quebec, 38 (Arnold’s Exped., 1775). We slided glibly along, over passages where a few days previously, we had toted our canoes.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., vii. Is that ar man going to tote them bar’ls over to-night?
1883. A. Forbes, in Contemp. Rev., Oct., 605. His lordship and the lady had toted the trunk on to a cart.
1892. Kipling, Barrack-r. Ballads, 117. The Government Bullock Train toted its load.
1896. Current Hist. (Buffalo, N.Y.), VI. 865. The trust maintained a regular force of inspectors to keep all the members of the pool ‘toting fair.’
1929. Ol’ Man River, in Ventura County Star, 18 April, 4/2.
| ‘Tote dat barge!’ ‘Lift dat bale!’ | |
| Git a little drunk an’ you’ll land in jail. |
b. The verb-stem in combination with a sb.; as tote-pole, -team, -wagon; tote-load (see quot. 1859); tote-road, a rough temporary road for conveying goods to or from a settlement, camp, etc.
1857. Thoreau, Maine W. (1894), 296–7. The Indian was greatly surprised that we should have taken what he called a ‘tow’ (i. e., tote or toting or supply) road, instead of a carry path.
1859. Bartlett, Dict. Americanisms, Tote-load, as much as one can carry. Southern.
1887. M. Roberts, West. Avernus, 71. On this ‘toat’ or freight-road the wagons went east during one part of the day and west during the other.
1895. F. A. C. Emerson, in Century Mag., July, 478/2. One might visit every one of the hundreds of logging camps [in Maine] … and he would find each one furnished with its separate ‘tote road,’ ‘tote team’ and ‘toter.’
Hence Toting vbl. sb.; also Tote sb., an act of carrying or transporting (Webster, 1911); Toter, one engaged in toting, a carrier, teamster, etc.
1829. [W. Leggett], Tales & Sk., 148. I should no more ha’ looked to see one of you yankees, toting about wi’ you a rail Kentuck’ rifle, than I should ha’ thought I’d be riding myself without one.
1857. Toting [see b. above].
1860. Olmsted, Journ. Back Country, i. 48. Each gang was attended by a ‘water-toter.’
1895. Toter [see b. above].
1911. Blackw. Mag., Sept., 362/2. So accustomed are some of them to this ‘toting’ of loads.
