Forms: 5, 8 tousel, (5 Sc. towsill, 7 -ell, 9 towsel), 6– tousle; 7– touzle, (8–9 towzle, 9 -zel, Sc. and north. toozle). [Iterative of TOUSE v.: see -LE 3. Cf. LG. tûseln (Brem. Wbch.); Oberd. zusseln, züsseln (Doornkaat-Koolman).]
1. trans. To pull about roughly; to handle (esp. a woman) rudely or indelicately; to disorder, dishevel (the hair, clothes, etc.); = TOUSE v. 1, 1 c, 2.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 1492. Fayre schetus of sylk … Quyltus poyned of that ylk Touseled they ware.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 432. For to towsill me or tit me, thocht foull be my clais, Or I be dantit on sic wyse, my lyfe salbe lorne.
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Flyting, 362. Tousled and tuggled with towne tykes.
1642. H. More, Song of Soul, II. i. I. xiv. His rugg’d flowing mane, Which the fierce winds do tosse and tousell sore.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., IV. i. I have towzled his harigalds a wee!
1764. Foote, Mayor of G., I. i. Come, Jane, give me my wig: you slut, how you have touzled the curls.
1839–40. W. Irving, Wolfert’s R., xiii. (1855), 181. [He] kissed and tousled the young vrouws.
1884. Harper’s Mag., Aug., 64/1. Romping with the dogs, tousling a big St. Bernard.
b. With about, out, up.
1816. Scott, Antiq., ix. After they had touzled out mony a leather poke-full o’ papers.
1822. W. Irving, Braceb. Hall, xxxviii. Mrs. Hannah … being tossed and tousled about by the crowd.
1883. Mem. S. Miller, Pref. 20. She requested us…, if she should be drowsy, to be sure and ‘touzle’ her up.
c. fig. = TOUSE v. 3.
1826. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., Wks. 1855, I. 260. Hoo your een sparkle as you touzle the clergy.
1900. Hare, Story my Life, VI. xxv. 188. Religion worried and touzled by a thousand million vagaries of personality.
2. intr. To toss oneself about; also, to rout, rummage (cf. TOUSE v. 5).
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., xxxvii. Tom Loker we left groaning and touzling in a … clean Quaker bed.
1880. Baring-Gould, Mehalah, xxiv. Do you think she is to come here toozling about among the wittles in her best gown?
Hence Tousling, touzling vbl. sb.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII. xii. Damn me, if he shan’t ha the tousling her.
1771. E. Long, Trial Dog ‘Porter,’ in Hone, Every-day Bk. (1827), II. 202. Tearings, woundings, pullings,… touzleings,… maliciously inflicted.
1865. E. Burritt, Walk Land’s End, 284. What tugging and touzling, and pinching and pulling at the tail he [a dog] will take.
