sb. (a.) Obs. exc. dial. Forms: α. 5 tusmose, tussemose, 7 tussimussie; β. 7 tuzzimussie, 6–8 tuzzie-, tuzzi-, -muzzie, -muzzy, 8–9 tuzzy-muzzy. [app. a kind of reduplicated or rhyming jingle on TUSSY. The early form tus- or tussemose, with the transitional tussimussie, suggest the existence of *tus or *tusse in the sense ‘cluster or knot of flowers,’ whence TUSSY.] † A bunch or posy of flowers, a nosegay; a garland of flowers. Also fig. Obs.
α. c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 494/2. Tyte tust, or tusmose of flowrys or othyr herbys (S. tytetuste or tussemose), olfactorium.
1629. Parkinson, Paradisus, 281. A delicate Tussimussie, as they call it, or Nosegay.
β. 1585. J. Higins, Junius’ Nomencl., 113/2. Seruia, a nosegay: a tuzziemuzzie: a sweete posie.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxiii. (1592), 342. [Apollo] commaunded … to remoue the tuzzimuzzies of flowers from his feete.
1598. Florio, Serta … a circlet or garland or wreath, a tuzzie-muzzie.
1620. Thomas, Lat. Dict., Sertum,… a nosegay, a tuzzimussie.
1629. Symmer, Spir. Posie, Ep. A ij b. Then shall this Tuzzi-muzzie have its wished and expected smell.
1664. Gouldman, Copious Dictionary (1669), s.v. Tuttie, A Tuttie, nosegay, posie or tuzziemuzzie, fasciculus.
1706. [see TUTTY sb.2].
b. dial. As popular name of particular plants or flowers (see quots.); also, a bur.
1842. Phelps, Collect. Glouc., 281. Tuzzy muzzy, a burr.
1886. Britten & Holland, Eng. Plant-n., Tuzzy muzzy, Muscari comosum.… Norf[olk].
1890. Gloucester Gloss., Supp., Tuzzy-muzzy, old man’s beard Clematis Vitalba.
c. transf. See quots. slang.
1711. E. Ward, Quix., I. 70. And Salt as Lot’s Wife’s Tuzzymuzzy.
1721. Bailey, Tuzzimuzzy,… a jocular Name for the Pudendum Muliebre. [Hence in Halliwell, and in later Dicts.]
B. adj. Disheveled, ragged; fuzzy. dial.
1847–78. Halliwell, Tuzzimuzzy, rough; ragged; dishevelled.
